#SayNoToPublicCharge

When you think about immigrants, what exactly comes to mind?

I know for some people, immigrants seem like a threat; coming here to take American jobs and take advantage of our resources and bring disease and break the rules. I know a lot of people ask, "Why can't they just go back to where they came from?" Or "If you complain about America so much, why are you even here?". Maybe it's a fear of the unknown, a discomfort with being presented with ways of life that can be different from the "American" way, a sense of injustice about new people coming along to take away from what Americans have built, or just a preference that America doesn't become more brown and black.

That's all one story we tell about immigrants. But for anyone who's taken the time to know an immigrant family, you'll learn that there's so much more. Our stories are about distance and loss, but they also carry adventure and hope. Of course, they're not all the same but the similarities are striking. They bring new perspective by finding the best about two or more cultures and blending it together.

Economically, immigrants prop up our social security funds by paying taxes that they don't benefit from, and they keep the cost of living low by working underpaid in industries like food and construction. Immigrants work HARD and often accept less compensation than they deserve for doing work that few Americans want to. They give up so much and ask for so little in return - most immigrant parents would do anything for their children to just have a better chance than they had. Isn't that what all Americans want?

Even if immigrants didn't contribute enormously to our national GDP, they provide a new generation of Americans who are driven by their parents' sacrifices. Immigrants have some of the deepest respect for the American Dream, as imperfect and unattainable of a construct it is. They create incredible art, generate the best parts of American food culture, advocate for visions of justice that include all of us, and widen our ability to understand and connect as human beings. We are better because of the immigrants before us. Inviting them in makes us a stronger nation. Believing that there's not enough of America to go around is a narrow vision that doesn't do credit to the enormous capacity of our country to invest and nurture those in need.

Immigrant families know how hard it is to come to the United States. There's only a few ways to obtain legal residence; most of it's unbearable wait times, endless red tape, and a whole lot of good luck. For those who are undocumented, the instability of not knowing whether family members will return home each new day is worth the chance of creating a better life than before. Many immigrants and refugees are leaving violence and trauma; much of which has come from American interference in global politics. It's not easy to immigrate here, and it's only gotten harder since our new administration has slowly dismantled the little that exists for new Americans to come here.

Recently, legislation has been proposed to consider immigrants who use public services as "public charges" in a way that challenges their ability to obtain legal residence. It's already generated fear and confusion in communities, and there are folks on Medicare who have stopped seeing their doctors or collecting SNAP benefits for their groceries. It's demeaning and unwelcoming and dangerous.

If you know an immigrant family, PLEASE write in a short comment here to protest this awful legislation. They're required to respond to every single comment so sending *any* comment in makes a difference. All you have to do is type your name and click a few boxes and write in a comment!

If you need some inspiration, flip through this album to see stories from my classmates who wouldn't be future doctors without the sacrifices, drive, and hope of immigrant families.

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