Immigration: Singing together
My wife Regina and I were two of more than ten thousand who took part in the annual Cesar Chavez March today from Pueblo High to Rudy Garcia Park in Tucson’s Southside. I hope you were able to be there as well.
There was so much peaceful power and energy emanating from the crowd. People of all kinds waved myriad American flags to celebrate our dedication to the idea that we each add immeasurably to the lives of one another, no matter where we came from.
Mutual honor and mutual respect were everywhere, in the hopes that our Congress and Arizona Legislature could drop hateful, divisive rhetoric and laws, in favor of comprehensive immigration reform based in mutual respect for all who live and work in our land.
The most transcendent experience of the day came on the #16 SunTran bus, headed north from Laos Transit Center after the march. The bus was packed with all ages and shapes and sizes. It was standing room only, but everyone was in a very good mood and chatting amiably in Spanish and English.
Just after we started our trip, an old man got out his guitar and began to sing Mexican folk songs with a strong and expressive voice. A young boy started shouting out requests, and soon every rider was singing and clapping along. Rarely have I felt such a vibe of spontaneous communion and effervescent hope for our future here on the border.
It seems to me that a lot of the anti-immigrant sentiment we hear is based on fear of change. Certainly there are costs to immigration, but there are clearly benefits as well–both financial and social.
If we could accept the positive change that comes with immigration, and embrace the benefits of living in a multicultural society–complete with impromptu community sing-alongs on the public bus–, we would have a much stronger and more loving community with a brighter future where we could solve our problems together.
If only a Minuteman or two were riding on the #16 today, we might be on our way to changing our world–one song at a time.