Growing up in New Jersey as an Indian-American in the 1980s and 1990s, I faced significant prejudice. Surprisingly, the person who understood my struggles the most was my 80-year-old Italian-American piano teacher, Mrs. Baldino.
As I spoke with her, I realized that my experiences closely mirrored her own from the 1920s and 1930s. It was puzzling to me that some of the kids who bullied me were Italian Americans. Mrs. Baldino offered an explanation: “They always forget what their grandparents went through.”
This pattern of forgetfulness seems to repeat itself in our current political climate.
Immigrants often become easy targets. They are not yet American citizens, do not vote, may have limited English skills, and during tough economic times, they are convenient scapegoats.
We hear claims that immigrants are taking our jobs while relying on government aid. Politicians have convinced many that new waves of immigrants are detrimental to our country. It’s perplexing why Americans, many of whom are descendants of immigrants, fall for these fear tactics.
Historically, there are Americans who refuse to acknowledge that today’s immigrants are similar to the ones who came generations ago.
Recent attacks by former President Trump and his campaign on the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, did not focus solely on undocumented immigrants but on all recent migrants. This broad approach is intentional; Trump and his movement seek to incite fear. We must resist this manipulation because history shows that successive generations of immigrants adapt and integrate into American society.
Immigrants face many challenges: a new country, different language, unfamiliar foods, religions, holidays, customs, and systems. Often, they navigate these challenges within their communities. For instance, Italian immigrants settled in New York’s tenements, Chinese immigrants formed Chinatown in San Francisco, and Scandinavian immigrants moved to Minnesota. Similarly, Indian immigrants established a community in Edison, N.J.
These enclaves provide support, with immigrants hiring each other, opening businesses that serve their needs, and practicing their faith together. From the outside, it may seem that these communities are isolated, but the reality is different.
Immigrants’ children, the first-generation Americans, strive to fully integrate into American life. They juggle their cultural heritage with new American customs. They work hard in school, participate in extracurricular activities, and aim for higher education. As adults, they contribute to their communities as military personnel, police officers, doctors, lawyers, business owners, and more. They enrich American culture with their traditions.
The second generation benefits from being raised as Americans while still enjoying the cultural traditions from their grandparents. However, as time passes, some descendants of earlier immigrants view new immigrants with skepticism, assuming that American culture won’t assimilate them as effectively. This disbelief in the power of American assimilation is striking.
Today, Trump and MAGA Republicans associate Latin American immigrants with crime and socialism, similar to how Italian Americans were once unfairly linked to the Mafia. They also target certain religions, echoing past prejudices against Catholicism and Italian Americans. This pattern of scapegoating is both troubling and familiar.
It’s easy to focus on differences and be swayed by political fear-mongering. However, if you want to understand how much immigrants value America, look at their children. Immigrants may face challenges, but their descendants are deeply integrated into American life. This is a reason to embrace, not fear, new immigrants.
Jos Joseph is a master’s candidate at Harvard Extension School and a Marine veteran who served in Iraq. He resides in Anaheim, California.