Immigrants fuel inspiration as well as reaffirmation

“Qui transtulit sustinet,” is Connecticut’s motto, celebrating how those who transplanted here have sustained. “E pluribus unum,” or “out of many, one,” is traditionally used to describe how the many people in the U.S. form one nation.

Just a few weeks ago, I saw those concepts come to life in the group of about two dozen recent immigrants to the United States who many of us at Connecticut Public had the opportunity to meet. They ranged in age from 5 to 65 and came from places like Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Puerto Rico, Ecuador and others.

It was a deeply meaningful exchange for all of us — one I will carry with me for a long time.

My dad is a Mexican immigrant who married my mom in 1960. She was visiting Acapulco at the time and somehow, someway, they fell in love. They just celebrated 63 years of marriage together.

Dad navigated his way through life learning how to adapt to his new country with hard work and an outsized love for the United States. I will never forget attending his citizenship ceremony in 1970 in a crowded federal court in downtown Chicago with hundreds of others who were being welcomed as new citizens.

My parents were top of mind as I prepared for this special dialogue, which was arranged to seek their advice and personal reflections on how Connecticut Public can better reflect the lives of the Latinos in Connecticut, which is the state’s fastest-growing community, making up 20 percent of our population.

Not surprisingly, our guests’ concerns were common day-to-day issues like transportation, health care, housing, higher education and public safety, yet their take on these issues — informed by their daily truths — was uncommon and inspiring.

Rather than complain, they spoke of how challenges could be turned into opportunities to make the American dream more attainable.

? Transportation: With the affordability of a car out of reach for many, they focused on ways to improve public transportation, with two specific suggestions: extending service schedules to cover more work shifts and bus signage in both English and Spanish.

? Healthcare: One woman at our table had been in the country for two months and was sick for one of those months without any access to health care. Yes, this is a national issue, but I teared up hearing her story. We can do better as a state.

? Housing: This was a big one. One person told me the story of her moving to New York with her 7-year-old son, then having to move in with a friend in Connecticut for a few months while finding a place to live, later finding a room with one bed that they both needed to share.

Several of the group have seen their rents nearly double in the last year with no room to negotiate and, ultimately, not enough money to keep up with increased living costs. Keep in mind that everyone in the conversation wanted to work, and many who were employed routinely work 10-12 hours a day — gladly.

? Higher education: There were several high school and college-age students with us that day, with sparks in their eyes when it came to this topic. All of them are motivated and ambitious with strongly held beliefs that education is one of the most important ingredients for getting ahead in today’s America. They suggested that help with tuition and flexibility with schedules would help them realize their aspirations.

? Public safety: All people want to be safe. When asked about public safety, their conclusion was simple: make sure that those who assault us and rob from us don’t get right back out on the street.

“We are afraid to call the police, not because we’re scared of the police, but we are more worried that once we call them, they’ll arrest the criminals and in a matter of days, they’ll be right back out on the street endangering us,” said one man. “That is why we’re reluctant to call the police. We’re one of the most vulnerable populations in most cities so we worry a lot about public safety.”

The source of our country’s great enduring strength has been — and will continue to be — the influx of immigrants willing to work hard, study hard, live, love, thrive and sustain. Spending time with these wonderful people embarking on their own American dream was so far removed from the harshness of the national debate on immigration that, ironically, pits America’s newest arrivals against those whose parents and grandparents were once in their shoes.

Many faith traditions hold a common lesson. The Islamic concept of Aman grants safety and protection to those seeking it. In Judaism, the book of Leviticus says to love foreigners as yourself, “for you were foreigners in Egypt.” And Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew, says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” It is no mistake that so many traditions are underpinned by the same lesson.

Each one of the topics we discussed with this group is being discussed at the highest levels at the state Capitol right now. As Connecticut Public fulfills our mission to inform, educate and inspire the people of Connecticut with high-quality journalism, storytelling, education and experiences that amplify the voices of our diverse communities, we will keep the inspiring lessons from our new friends top of mind.

Column first published in the Hearst Connecticut Newspapers Feb 27, 2023