Versión del boletin en español aqui
Dear John,
Over the last decade, the national rhetoric about our immigrant population has become increasingly more toxic and hostile. Last month, I spent a few days driving from one end of my district to the other for meetings and events with our constituents. While there, I noticed a mushrooming of hateful signs right here in southeastern Pennsylvania. The signs read “Illegals for Harris,” which is repugnant and reprehensible. I don’t believe this is who we are at our cores as Americans, and it’s certainly not who we should be.
Over the past month or so, the former president and his running mate have repeatedly inflamed this tension by claiming that some immigrants in Springfield, Ohio – who are in the United States legally – are eating their neighbor’s pets and hunting geese in municipal parks. Not only is this patently untrue and offensive, but it is also incredibly dangerous. Springfield has had to close its schools and hospitals because of bomb threats, and Ohio’s Governor is deploying state troopers to every public school. But Springfield is just one small city in America, and sadly, it’s not alone in its experience. I don’t want what happened there to happen here.
Our community is one of only a few places in Pennsylvania growing in population, and that growth is coming not only from people moving within and to the Commonwealth but also from all over the world. Specifically, we are blessed with a large South Asian community as well as significant Caribbean and Latin American populations. A few weekends ago, I had the opportunity to join a Unity panel in Reading with leaders from the Jewish, LGTBQ, Afro-Caribbean, and Latino communities. Looking at my fellow panelists and the people in the audience reminded me of the true beauty of our community. Our strength is in our diversity.
Newcomers and immigrants with multi-generational families in our district are working, shopping, playing sports, worshiping, volunteering, and contributing to our community by owning businesses, paying taxes, and raising the next generation of Americans.
Yes, it’s true that we don’t all look the same way. Or talk the same way. Or worship the same way. Or love the same way. And I have to tell you, that is okay. Our stories, struggles, and successes all have a common thread, and that is our human experience. No matter where we come from, how long we have been here, or how many generations preceded us, as citizens and residents of this great country, it is our responsibility to do our best in this extraordinary experiment of democracy.
In our district and in America itself, there is room for all of us. If you doubt my words, my challenge to you is simple — go talk to someone who is not like you. Ask them to tell you their story and share your own. You may be surprised to learn all that you have in common.
And right now, while the rhetoric is hot and the prejudice is showing up on yard signs, I implore you to shut down and decry any tolerance of hatred or violence amongst us. We need to move into our future together.
