Inspired by Scholastica

 

Immigration History

All of us are descendants of immigrants except the Native Americans who were born here. Most of our ancestors came from Europe, Ireland, or Mexico. Some of them took the land from the Native Americans and relegated them to reservations. Even worse, some of our ancestors (often religious teachers) made the native children speak English and dress like the white children. They also removed them from their families and punished them if they spoke in their native tongue.

Most of us are not proud of how some of our ancestors treated Native American children. We know that some of our white forebearers were cruel and inhumane to them. We are just beginning to acknowledge the mistreatment of Native American children and are trying to make some kind of restitution.

Now our government wants to banish undocumented immigrants, many of whom have lived most of their lives in the U.S. Many immigrants have come here to flee violence and persecution in their own countries and to give their children a better life. Now the new Administration is rounding them up and sending them back to their original homelands. Some of them have committed minor crimes, mostly related to immigration rules, but most are law-abiding people and innocent children.

I am reminded of the Last Judgement where Jesus will say, “I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; I was homeless and you turned me away . . .” We cannot say we did not know.  It is written in the Scriptures, it is preached in the churches, it is taught in Christian schools. These are our brothers and sisters.  

Our country has so much wealth and so many opportunities to respond to immigrants’ needs. Are we just going to close our doors and our hearts to them? Many of our forebearers came to this country seeking religious freedom. Are we going to let our country banish our new immigrants?

Barbara Mayer, OSB