Let's Talk About Immigration | Brigette Bonsu | TEDxYouth@TakomaPark

What would it feel like to be ripped away from your family and friends? What would it feel like to be placed in a situation where you're left confused and terrified? What would it feel like to be stuck in a place where you're surrounded by people you don't always see? That's how I felt when I was six years old. My grandparents rushed into my room and woke my brother and I up. They helped us get dressed. I pleaded with them to run across the street and say goodbye to my best friend. They said there was no time. As we drove away from their house, I remember not being able to say goodbye to all the people I knew. I remember my dog, Doobie. I remember how he always protected my family, how he always comforted me, and how he wouldn't be able to anymore. When I was writing this speech, I was advised to talk about a time where I felt discriminated or unjust or something unjust happened to me. I constantly drew a blank. I thought I wasn't thinking hard enough, that I forgot something. But then I realized I didn't forget anything. I honestly hadn't lived through an experience like that before. I had lived in the very diverse Tacoma Park and Silver Spring area. I had countless friends and I didn't, and I, I can't say the same for some of my friends. My friend, Yamri, had a similar situation like me. She was born in America and went to Gambia when she was in kindergarten. When she came, when she came back in second grade, she told me about how everybody made her feel different. She couldn't even try to figure, to try to fit in because, because everyone would never, she would never, no one would ever, she never could. As she, as I explained my experience to her, she told me that going into school in second grade was different than going to school in kindergarten. You see, second graders already have an understanding of who's an American and who's not. children to? We, especially with technology these days, when encouraging pridefulness and greed and hatred, if we can't, we can't expect our children to think about helping other people when they're thinking about getting the next best phone. When you look at pictures of, when you look back in the, to the, during the 20th century, you see many pictures of children in Ku Klux Klan costumes. They weren't, they never, they never chose to dress that way, even worse think that way. They were taught to by their parents. Now we need to choose to change and teach our children in society how to accept, how to welcome and how to welcome other people. I remember in my Spanish class, I remember learning about Esmeralda Santiago in my Spanish class. She immigrated from New York to Puerto Rico, to Puerto, from Puerto Rico to New York when she was 13 with her mother and siblings and she worked hard in school. She, she, her, her counselor and English teacher, her counselor and English teacher saw her potential and helped her audition for the high school of performing arts. Not only was she accepted, she also got into Harvard University. When I heard about Santiago's story, I thought if her, if her teacher and counselor were racist or never gave her a chance, she wouldn't be where she is today. Santiago's story is one of the many success stories of immigration, but there have been disadvantages of, for immigrants as well. Immigrants have to deal, have dealt with and have dealt with discriminate, discriminate, discrimination, hateful, hate crimes, et cetera. Numerous Americans don't welcome immigrants in, whether they want, they're searching for a better life or seeking refuge. How, how do, how do we expect immigrants to continue to contribute if, if we don't, if we don't support them? I can't even think what would have happened if Albert Einstein didn't make it to America because of the Immigration Act of 1924, which prevented Jews from seeking refuge in America. He wouldn't have been able to contribute his knowledge and work alongside W.E.B. Du Bois for civil rights. I also want to talk about Levi Strauss, Levi Strauss. You've probably seen him around in a store or you've seen someone wearing his jeans. He was a German, he was a German Jew and he seeks refuge in America as well. Elizabeth, Elizabeth Freeman, better known as Mom Bette, was the first African American to, to sue for her freedom and seek and encourage states to abolish slavery. She once said, anytime, anytime, if I, while I was a slave, if I was, if I was, if one minute's freedom was offered to me, I would, and I had to die at the end of that minute, I would take it just to stand on God's earth, a free woman, I would. She wanted the same thing, she, I'm not surprised, she wanted freedom just like the European slave owners who moved to America from Europe. Freedom is one of the benefits of immigration that, of moving to America for immigrants, along with employment, opportunity, and living a better life. Everybody, no matter your race or identity, wants freedom. When we look at our world today, we see countless stories of immigrants and migrants. We, we, we see refugee bans and camp evictions. We can't, we can't deny the fact that these restrictions cause refugees to, refugees to, to live in hard conditions and, live in hard conditions and strip them of their freedom. They can't go to school, church, or vote, they can't, they don't have a voice, they are trapped. If Americans were as trapped as migrants, we would want other nations to help us as well. We, you might not see it, but if we don't solve this problem now, we'll look back and regret it. We need to think about migrants and immigrants when we make laws. We can't keep denying, we can't keep denying, we can't keep pretending that this doesn't affect us. They want to live the American dream too. They want their children to have a brighter future. If, if we can't accept them, how would they be able to live the American dream? We also need to think about them in our everyday activities. Our actions speak louder than our words. We, we need to set an example for immigrants who come to America. If we, if they perceive us as rude or ill-mannered, you'll think that's the American way. And like children who, they learn from our culture and our way and, and through observation and they'll start to imitate our unaccepted actions. When I, I started my education in Ghana and when I came to the United States, I was provided with more opportunities. Like today I'm in two non-profit organizations. I've played the cello for six years and I, and I'm, I'm able to give this speech today. With my, with my parents, teachers, and friends, encourage, encouragement, I was able to do things I wasn't able to do if I was still in, I wouldn't have been able to do if I was still in Ghana. I, being, everybody I encountered helped me and supported me and I encourage everyone listening to support and encourage any immigrant or migrant. You never know. I shouldn't be the only one who, who can, or, or other few children of immigrants who can plain and smear go to school or, or live their best life instead of just merely living. If once you give an immigrant a chance, they most, they will, they will probably, they'll probably succeed and prove stereotypes wrong. You never know. The next migrant could, the, the little, a little boy or girl in a migrant caravan could be the next great Einstein.