[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] as an immigration lawyer I have a unique
as an immigration lawyer I have a unique
as an immigration lawyer I have a unique perspective of our country through the
perspective of our country through the
perspective of our country through the eyes of my clients who come from all
eyes of my clients who come from all
eyes of my clients who come from all over the world not to change America but
over the world not to change America but
over the world not to change America but to realize their full potential as
to realize their full potential as
to realize their full potential as humans Esther came from Haiti 10 years
humans Esther came from Haiti 10 years
humans Esther came from Haiti 10 years ago when she was in high school and now
ago when she was in high school and now
ago when she was in high school and now she’s one of the top nurses at
she’s one of the top nurses at
she’s one of the top nurses at Georgetown University Hospital Lauda is
Georgetown University Hospital Lauda is
Georgetown University Hospital Lauda is an Italian who fell in love with Chris
an Italian who fell in love with Chris
an Italian who fell in love with Chris and American whose parents came from
and American whose parents came from
and American whose parents came from Iceland to do research at NIH now Lauda
Iceland to do research at NIH now Lauda
Iceland to do research at NIH now Lauda is a doctor at Mount Sinai in New York
is a doctor at Mount Sinai in New York
is a doctor at Mount Sinai in New York and aquat is a doctor from Iraq who
and aquat is a doctor from Iraq who
and aquat is a doctor from Iraq who devotes his life to finding ways to
devotes his life to finding ways to
devotes his life to finding ways to prevent and cure cancer something that’s
prevent and cure cancer something that’s
prevent and cure cancer something that’s become even more important to him since
become even more important to him since
become even more important to him since his wife and mother were diagnosed he’s
his wife and mother were diagnosed he’s
his wife and mother were diagnosed he’s a research scientist at Johns Hopkins
a research scientist at Johns Hopkins
a research scientist at Johns Hopkins Hospital all of the people that I’ve had
Hospital all of the people that I’ve had
Hospital all of the people that I’ve had the privilege to serve reinforce the
the privilege to serve reinforce the
the privilege to serve reinforce the values that we consider American and the
values that we consider American and the
values that we consider American and the work they do benefits all of us but
work they do benefits all of us but
work they do benefits all of us but that’s not the narrative about
that’s not the narrative about
that’s not the narrative about immigrants that we get from the news and
immigrants that we get from the news and
immigrants that we get from the news and social media so what to do about this
social media so what to do about this
social media so what to do about this growing gap between rhetoric and reality
growing gap between rhetoric and reality
growing gap between rhetoric and reality over the next year I’m traveling around
over the next year I’m traveling around
over the next year I’m traveling around the United States on a listening tour to
the United States on a listening tour to
the United States on a listening tour to engage communities in conversations
engage communities in conversations
engage communities in conversations about culture and identity change and
about culture and identity change and
about culture and identity change and the challenges that we all face together
the challenges that we all face together
the challenges that we all face together just a few weeks ago I was in mcpherson
just a few weeks ago I was in mcpherson
just a few weeks ago I was in mcpherson Kansas for their annual scottish
Kansas for their annual scottish
Kansas for their annual scottish festival to celebrate the town’s
festival to celebrate the town’s
festival to celebrate the town’s cultural heritage Kansas is
cultural heritage Kansas is
cultural heritage Kansas is predominantly white rural conservative
predominantly white rural conservative
predominantly white rural conservative and Christian tight-knit friendly
and Christian tight-knit friendly
and Christian tight-knit friendly communities where most people feel safe
communities where most people feel safe
communities where most people feel safe and have job security so navigating
and have job security so navigating
and have job security so navigating change in the form of new residents from
change in the form of new residents from
change in the form of new residents from cultures and countries that appear
cultures and countries that appear
cultures and countries that appear different is challenging we were talking
different is challenging we were talking
different is challenging we were talking through that when I left Kansas I had a
through that when I left Kansas I had a
through that when I left Kansas I had a layover at the airport in chicago and
layover at the airport in chicago and
layover at the airport in chicago and this man sat next to me
this man sat next to me
this man sat next to me middle-eastern looking not smiling I
middle-eastern looking not smiling I
middle-eastern looking not smiling I thought he looks a little suspicious
thought he looks a little suspicious
thought he looks a little suspicious really Cheryl like all of my personal
really Cheryl like all of my personal
really Cheryl like all of my personal experience tells me that people are
experience tells me that people are
experience tells me that people are people and we all have way more in
people and we all have way more in
people and we all have way more in common than we differ but those toxic
common than we differ but those toxic
common than we differ but those toxic images that we constantly consume not to
images that we constantly consume not to
images that we constantly consume not to mention the physical reality of being
mention the physical reality of being
mention the physical reality of being surrounded by people who appear the same
surrounded by people who appear the same
surrounded by people who appear the same have an impact even on me someone with
have an impact even on me someone with
have an impact even on me someone with so much personal exposure to real live
so much personal exposure to real live
so much personal exposure to real live humans from every walk of life it’s so
humans from every walk of life it’s so
humans from every walk of life it’s so easy to forget that stories are
easy to forget that stories are
easy to forget that stories are newsworthy because they’re not normal
newsworthy because they’re not normal
newsworthy because they’re not normal our reality is shaped by our perception
our reality is shaped by our perception
our reality is shaped by our perception of the truth and our perception is based
of the truth and our perception is based
of the truth and our perception is based on our exposure if our exposure is
on our exposure if our exposure is
on our exposure if our exposure is limited to the things that we read and
limited to the things that we read and
limited to the things that we read and see on TV well that’s the problem that
see on TV well that’s the problem that
see on TV well that’s the problem that we face and I’m painfully aware of this
we face and I’m painfully aware of this
we face and I’m painfully aware of this not just because of my work with
not just because of my work with
not just because of my work with immigrants I grew up in Waco Texas and
immigrants I grew up in Waco Texas and
immigrants I grew up in Waco Texas and my family’s still in Waco it was just 30
my family’s still in Waco it was just 30
my family’s still in Waco it was just 30 years ago in the fall of 1986 when the
years ago in the fall of 1986 when the
years ago in the fall of 1986 when the high schools were finally consolidated
high schools were finally consolidated
high schools were finally consolidated under desegregation orders my class was
under desegregation orders my class was
under desegregation orders my class was the first class to go through all four
the first class to go through all four
the first class to go through all four years of high school together Waco is
years of high school together Waco is
years of high school together Waco is still largely segregated if not by race
still largely segregated if not by race
still largely segregated if not by race than by class and Waco like Kansas is
than by class and Waco like Kansas is
than by class and Waco like Kansas is solid red I love this picture of my dad
solid red I love this picture of my dad
solid red I love this picture of my dad he’s very funny and the Hat is a joke to
he’s very funny and the Hat is a joke to
he’s very funny and the Hat is a joke to be clear
but the reality is we have very
but the reality is we have very different world views and sometimes our
different world views and sometimes our
different world views and sometimes our disagreements feel very personal and
disagreements feel very personal and
disagreements feel very personal and painful and it’s hard to work through
painful and it’s hard to work through
painful and it’s hard to work through that we do it because we care the
that we do it because we care the
that we do it because we care the challenge for all of us is to recognize
challenge for all of us is to recognize
challenge for all of us is to recognize when our beliefs and our feelings are
when our beliefs and our feelings are
when our beliefs and our feelings are grounded in personal experience and when
grounded in personal experience and when
grounded in personal experience and when we’re letting the rhetoric shape our
we’re letting the rhetoric shape our
we’re letting the rhetoric shape our reality so there was my opportunity back
reality so there was my opportunity back
reality so there was my opportunity back at the airport in chicago to be brave
at the airport in chicago to be brave
at the airport in chicago to be brave and reach through that implicit bias i
and reach through that implicit bias i
and reach through that implicit bias i started talking to the man next to me
started talking to the man next to me
started talking to the man next to me and he’s amazing he’s a PhD his wife has
and he’s amazing he’s a PhD his wife has
and he’s amazing he’s a PhD his wife has a master’s degree they’re from Nepal and
a master’s degree they’re from Nepal and
a master’s degree they’re from Nepal and vegetarian this man would not even hurt
vegetarian this man would not even hurt
vegetarian this man would not even hurt an animal it’s it’s I’m not trying to
an animal it’s it’s I’m not trying to
an animal it’s it’s I’m not trying to convince you that all migrants and
convince you that all migrants and
convince you that all migrants and refugees are awesome and you should
refugees are awesome and you should
refugees are awesome and you should welcome them into your communities
welcome them into your communities
welcome them into your communities that’s my opinion but my challenge to
that’s my opinion but my challenge to
that’s my opinion but my challenge to you is to challenge the sources that
you is to challenge the sources that
you is to challenge the sources that shape your reality don’t let the media
shape your reality don’t let the media
shape your reality don’t let the media have so much control over your actions
have so much control over your actions
have so much control over your actions and beliefs even if everybody around you
and beliefs even if everybody around you
and beliefs even if everybody around you has the same opinions think about it
has the same opinions think about it
has the same opinions think about it you’re all getting your information from
you’re all getting your information from
you’re all getting your information from the same sources and my challenge to
the same sources and my challenge to
the same sources and my challenge to migrants and refugees is to make an
migrants and refugees is to make an
migrants and refugees is to make an extra effort to interact with your new
extra effort to interact with your new
extra effort to interact with your new communities think of yourselves as
communities think of yourselves as
communities think of yourselves as ambassadors share your food and music
ambassadors share your food and music
ambassadors share your food and music and stories about home and ask questions
and stories about home and ask questions
and stories about home and ask questions we have so much to learn from one
we have so much to learn from one
we have so much to learn from one another and my challenge to everyone for
another and my challenge to everyone for
another and my challenge to everyone for all of us is to keep the big picture in
all of us is to keep the big picture in
all of us is to keep the big picture in mind everybody wants to feel safe and
mind everybody wants to feel safe and
mind everybody wants to feel safe and secure divisions based on politics race
secure divisions based on politics race
secure divisions based on politics race and religion do not make us feel safer
and religion do not make us feel safer
and religion do not make us feel safer it’s the opposite polarization breeds
it’s the opposite polarization breeds
it’s the opposite polarization breeds fear and talking about people instead of
fear and talking about people instead of
fear and talking about people instead of talking to people
talking to people
talking to people only reinforces stereotypes and fans the
only reinforces stereotypes and fans the
only reinforces stereotypes and fans the flames of fear even if we disagree on
flames of fear even if we disagree on
flames of fear even if we disagree on policy issues like immigration can we be
policy issues like immigration can we be
policy issues like immigration can we be brave enough to separate the policy from
brave enough to separate the policy from
brave enough to separate the policy from the person that lives next door people
the person that lives next door people
the person that lives next door people that come to this country want the same
that come to this country want the same
that come to this country want the same things as the people that I met in
things as the people that I met in
things as the people that I met in Kansas and the my family and friends
Kansas and the my family and friends
Kansas and the my family and friends back home in Texas after risking and
back home in Texas after risking and
back home in Texas after risking and sacrificing so much to come to this
sacrificing so much to come to this
sacrificing so much to come to this country the last thing that they want to
country the last thing that they want to
country the last thing that they want to do is change those very features that
do is change those very features that
do is change those very features that make America attractive like freedom and
make America attractive like freedom and
make America attractive like freedom and opportunity and to that end immigrants
opportunity and to that end immigrants
opportunity and to that end immigrants are doing their part one-fourth of all
are doing their part one-fourth of all
are doing their part one-fourth of all US businesses are now started by
US businesses are now started by
US businesses are now started by immigrants and forty percent of Fortune
immigrants and forty percent of Fortune
immigrants and forty percent of Fortune 500 companies are founded by immigrants
500 companies are founded by immigrants
500 companies are founded by immigrants or the children of immigrants the
or the children of immigrants the
or the children of immigrants the greatest fear to our country does not
greatest fear to our country does not
greatest fear to our country does not come from the outside it’s hard to wrap
come from the outside it’s hard to wrap
come from the outside it’s hard to wrap your head around that when appearances
your head around that when appearances
your head around that when appearances tend to be more emotional than rational
tend to be more emotional than rational
tend to be more emotional than rational but appearances are only skin deep and
but appearances are only skin deep and
but appearances are only skin deep and values are deeper if we really want the
values are deeper if we really want the
values are deeper if we really want the United States to stay united then it’s
United States to stay united then it’s
United States to stay united then it’s time for every one of us to make America
time for every one of us to make America
time for every one of us to make America brave again thank you
”
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