"I remember." My dad gazed off into the distance, recalling a buried memory. "I remember driving around in a daze, not knowing what to do or what to think," he said. My dad and I were discussing the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Since I was only three at the time, I don't remember anything about it. But my dad did.
"I wanted to join the military after hearing about the attacks," my dad continued, "but they said I was too old." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My dad, a man who had never shown aspirations to fight in the military, wanted to fight in the armed forces?
"Why?" I asked him.
"Because," he said, "I wanted to fight for my country."
Americans everywhere are choosing to fight for their country and what it values as the topic of immigration heats up. Across the country, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been finding and arresting thousands of illegal immigrants. While some may see this as a triumphant victory, the question remains: What happens to the children of the illegal immigrants who were caught?
After their parents are arrested, the children are sent to detention centers. It is here, in these converted Wal-Marts and tent shelters in the desert, where they await their fate. These children's stories don't end with happily ever after. More often than not, the children are placed in foster care or, in rarer cases, in the care of an adult sponsor who will serve as their guardian.
Once released from the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, illegal immigrant parents have to decide if their children should stay in the United States or go back with them to the violent countries in which they fled.
The policy of separating illegal immigrants from their children has sparked a national outcry. Republicans and Democrats alike do not support the policy and many are speaking out against it. Laura Bush, a former First Lady and wife of former President George W. Bush, has also expressed her hatred and heartbreak over the policy of separating illegal immigrant families.
Political figures aren't the only ones speaking out against the policy. Technological companies such as Microsoft, Facebook, Tesla, Uber and Google have voiced their opposition. Microsoft employees have even taken things to the next level. This week, Microsoft employees started a petition that has only one goal: for Microsoft to stop working with organizations who refuse to value human rights laws.
Even the average American has taken up the baton of opposition. On June 30th, protestors will gather in 132 cities to protest this policy. The protests are sponsored by, in addition to other organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Domestic Workers Alliance. If you would like to learn more about the protests, click here.
As an American, I cannot help but feel like I'm living in a historical moment. I can only hope that I can be brave like my dad was all those years ago. I want to be able to remember this moment. I want to be able to look back on this time and say that I tried to fight back against the injustices I saw.
I want to be proud to be an American.
