Um America, your Xenophobia (an intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries) is showing. According to the Migration Policy Institute, 20% of all immigrants come to the United states. Despite 13 percent of this country's population consisting of Immigrants, some Americans relentlessly regurgitate xenophobic rhetoric.

While we continue to hear the ideas spewed by the overwhelming number of presidential candidates, immigration is a topic that makes my heart feel incredibly heavy. "Make America Great Again" is a familiar slogan that rubs me the wrong way because I know the implications of this statement. The language that we use to discuss immigrants and refugees is unkind. Our 'great nation' was founded by immigrants! America has a nasty habit of objectifying immigrants. Immigrants have hopes and dreams just like the rest of us American born citizens. So why does this country treat immigrants with contempt? As a nation we should be able to empathize with them because the founding fathers wanted the same thing. Not only did they dream of freedom and the right to pursue happiness, they were able to accomplish it by any means necessary.

This country likes to pride itself on being a multicultural melting pot whilst complaining about people whose native tongue isn’t English. It never ceases to amaze me when I see people chastising others for not speaking english or “American” because they are in America now. First and foremost, the United States is not the only country that exists in the Americas.

Secondly, English is not the only language that is spoken throughout the Americas. And finally, English is not the official language of our country. It may be commonly spoken but it hasn’t been designated as our official language.

There are Americans who continue to perpetuate this irrational fear and uneasiness of immigrants. Were the Indigenous peoples of the Americas afforded the chance to be as worried about change and strangers like Americans now are today?

Were they allowed to be apprehensive of the ancestors of americans when they arrived?

There were plenty of times where the Indigenous peoples, without prejudice and a second thought, outstretched helping hands and showed their generosity. Columbus himself even remarked on the hospitality and munificence he experienced from the first group of Indigenous People that he encountered.

I am aware of the loud eye rolls that occur when one brings up the past but I also understand the importance of knowing our past. Acknowledging our past is the key to understanding our present. If we are conscious about our past it can give us insight into our future. When Americans turn their backs on immigrants, conveniently forgetting the not-so-beautiful and romanticized beginnings of this country, we do ourselves a greater disservice.

The way that we talk about immigrants and immigration is crucial. When we engage in discussions about immigrants, we must include them because these are their lives that the government has in their hands. We cannot applaud the founding fathers and ancestors for being so diligent in their quest to procure freedom and then in the same breath condemn current immigrants for wanting something similar.