- 1 min read
- Posted on 04.01.06
As you watch the increasingly shrill national debate on immigration, it is important to realize how big a stake the City has in the outcome. We are, historically, a city of immigrants. My own parents are first generation Americans.
Even though the City lost population in the 1990s, things would have been far worse had those losses not been offset by the numbers of Bosnian, Hispanic, and Vietnamese immigrants who moved here during the same time. A decade later, their contributions are already evident: rebuilt neighborhoods, new businesses, and new traditions that add to our diversity.
I believe, in fact, that the jobs, taxes, and energy brought to the City in the 90’s by immigrants were some of the foundations of the renaissance we are seeing in this decade. And immigration remains an important element of our growing vitality.
People come to this country seeking a better life for themselves. In fact, they end up making life better for all of us. That must continue.
If it comes to drawing lines, put me on the side of immigration.
Listen to MayorSlay.com podcasts touching on this subject:
