Hundreds of years ago, when English settlers first arrived in modern day Plymouth, MA, they did so for one main reason: to escape religious persecution. In the late 1800s to the early 1900s, many of our ancestors made their way to the United States. Many of our roots began here with the immigration of the Irish, Italian, German, Polish, Czechoslovakians, Hungarians, Greeks, Armenians, Turkish, and yes, even Syria. The vast majority of those immigrating to the United States did so in hopes of finding refuge from the political and economic unrest that rattled their countries. It was not easy for these immigrants, who faced a different kind of oppression upon arriving in the United States. But over time, they became the backbone of America, making the country rich in various cultures and beliefs. So many of our family lines began as immigrants in this country, struggling day in and day out to make a better life for themselves in America.

On Friday, January 27, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order that banned refugees from several primarily Muslim countries, just one week into his presidency. In the long hours that followed, the world watched as America left people from these countries stranded in detentions upon arriving in United States Airports without lawyers or explanation - even if they had legally received visas in the weeks prior. As a nation, and as a people, we can - and we must - do better.

The plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty displays the following passage: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Now more than ever, we need to internalize these words and follow them as a practice. And as a message to all the people of this nation who have come from the countries listed in this travel ban: this is your country too. You have every right to be here and to thrive here. Though this past week has left me disheartened and saddened, I will never give up hope that someday, we will live in an America where someone’s faith, gender identity, or race can never be used against them or to hurt them. In the face of these challenging times, it’s vital that we stick together and fight for all those whose rights are currently under attack.