President Trump's latest bout of tweets hit very close to home. In vague reference to Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar, he tweeted a series of remarks with the conclusion that these women should "go back" to where they came from and fix their own countries. All four of these women are American citizens; three of which were born right here in the states.
Did he forget that this country is a melting pot of all races, religions, and cultures? Does he realize that so many of our citizens have ancestors who came to this great country to escape the horrors of their own homes? Who are we to say who is more American than others? Our own Founding Fathers were sons of immigrants who came to find religious freedom. Would he have the audacity to say they are not American and to tell them to go back? Only Native Americans have the true claim to the title and yet have very little to show for it.
As a first-generation American, with two naturalized parents, it hurts to see people of color (POC) treated as less American. Tracing back far enough, I am sure all of us have roots of immigrants who came to this country to find a better life. My parents were able to do that through the power of education and going through the arduous process of becoming citizens. To downplay that struggle by treating them as second-class citizens hurts. I'm sure many POCs have the shared experience of being told to go back to their country when America is the only country we have ever known. I have just as much love and pride in this country as anyone else.
At a rally, people took those statements to heart and started chanting, "send her back" when President Trump brought up Rep. Omar. He later somewhat walked back the statement but at the time of the rally, did nothing. We risk falling down a very slippery slope of prejudice when we classify people on how American they really are.
In the end, I'm not one to say whose policies are right or which party should be in control. But I know it's important to realize that when we put aside our differences, we're all American and we can all work towards a better future for this country together.
