Lede/Intro

Having grown up in Oakland, California, a place that calls itself home to thousands of immigrants from around the world, I believe America needs to be kinder and more welcoming to the millions of people who are trying to come to our shores to create a better life for themselves and their families.

Scene/Personal Story

My own family came to America during World War II. If America hadn’t been welcoming then, it’s likely my great-grandparents would have ended up in one of Hitler’s concentration camps. Instead, they were able to create businesses, families and lay down roots. America’s welcoming policies during World War II saved my family from certain destruction.

Argument

Hitler is long dead now, but there are many crises still affecting other countries and it’s important that we welcome new immigrants and help them create a better future for themselves and their kids. Over the past year, the current administration has prevented entry to refugees seeking asylum from dangerous places like Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, these countries, which are also known as the Northern Triangle, have seen a dramatic increase in gang warfare and violence. For people who live there, they have two choices-- leave the country or risk death. But America has not only made it hard for asylum-seekers to gain entry, they punished them in the most inhumane way possible-- by separating them from their children and holding them in subhuman detention centers where according to the Associated Press, they are experiencing sexual abuse, neglect and death.

This is no way to treat a family in need.

Conclusion/Call to Action

America, please remember when you are voting to select the President who will represent us for the next four years, refugees are people too and America has a long and noble tradition of opening its shores to people in need. It’s part of what has made America respected and powerful.