Courtesy of News Media America: Latino Media to White House
What does it mean to be American? To be American means to have a common bond, a mutual respect for our nation, to value freedom and liberty, to have a desire to be a contributing member of society, and to have national pride. Regardless of where one comes from, being raised as an American is indeed a special thing many people from different countries may wish to have. AA Bondy seems to captivate these emotions, describing those who are ‘born with an American heart’ stating,
so don’t tread on me
for I am your brother
I was born with an American heart
and don’t tread on her
for she is your sister
she was born with an American heart
When I heard this song, what came to mind were undocumented students who, while they worked hard to achieve the American dream, were put at a disadvantage, compared to their documented peers, due to their legal status.
Similarly, Nancy Guaraneros was a model student in high school where, later, she received many acceptances from universities such as Harvard, Yale and Columbia. Her future seemed bright, or so she thought, until the day she discovered that she was undocumented (Whatever happened to…). Instead of continuing to ‘tread’ on students like her by neglecting or limiting their opportunities, we should look towards investing in not only their aspirations for a better future, but for an investment to the United States.
Immigration Talk 