It’s a topic that will never die in America — perhaps because it’s a huge part of America’s identity: immigration. Recently, immigration is back on the news in the states, as children from Central America are being held at the border. Like the hatred of immigrants from China, Italy, Ireland, and other places in the past, many vilify an entire group of people as a massive burden on America. It’s something that interested us enough to dedicate an entire show to immigration; after all, most of us aren’t more than a couple generations away from coming to America ourselves.
We begin by asking each other where our ancestors lived before coming to America. After that, we get into how far removed we are from someone coming to America in our own families. Want to know what influences from other places we remember as kids? Listen and find out — as well as finding out if any of those influences still linger.
When most people think about immigration today, they think of people coming into the states from the south. We live in Texas, a state that has the longest border with Mexico. In our politics to the state’s culture, things from south of the border play a big role in Texas. Find out if we think we benefit from our neighbors to the south…or if they are they a problem!
Sticking to that mentality of branding an entire people…some people think the wall between the US and Mexico can’t be tall enough; others say we should have completely open borders. Find out where we stand. (Spoiler: We lean toward compassion.)
Want to know how immigrants have affected the neighborhoods in which we live? Listen and find out! Also: once here, some believe immigrants should give up their cultural identity and become one with the Melting Pot that [supposedly] is America. Is there truth to that, or are we Americans because we have kept some of who we once were with us into the future?
Pundits and politicians frame stories about immigration in the hope of getting others to think like they think at any cost. Where does our view of immigration come from? We share that answer and then talk about the coolest [non-family] immigrant we’ve ever known.
What do we think is the short-term and long-term future of immigration? We talk about that before asking: will there be a day where we’ve ventured into the universe, but still keep that, “Those damn Maxillians…coming to Ameraxis and ruining our way of life!” mentality?
Climb, tunnel beneath, or go through the comment fence and let us know what you think abut immigration!
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That’s a great intro, Christopher. Off to listen now and when I’m done, I’ll “Climb, tunnel beneath, or go through the comment fence” and let you know what I think.
Thank you, Mary. I just listened myself…it’s one of those episodes that felt good while recording, and I’m pleased with the final recording.
I’m a mutt, like most people in the USA. 🙂 A lot of Scotch on both sides of my family. My mother at one point claimed to be an ET, but that’s a whole other story. But who knows, some people claim redheads have ET DNA.
I have some Russian too, as I’m a direct descendant of Sophie Tucker on my mother’s side. 🙂 Funny, I can see a distinct similarity to Tucker in my mother’s and grandmother’s faces, but not mine. Except for the red hair and pale skin, I take more after my gangly father in appearance.