The holidays are here and first in line is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many. In many Eritrean households, turkey is served right along with tsebhi dorho, as families gather, laughs are had, and memories are made. Many of us probably don’t take the time to reflect on the first Thanksgiving story. Remember, the classic Thanksgiving story is about the Pilgrims — a.k.a. immigrants — who showed up on American shores uninvited, and in precarious economic circumstances. Thanksgiving is a celebration of the fact that the native-born Americans who lived in the area welcomed these newcomers, shared their food with them, and helped them make the transition to their new home.
This past week, President Obama used his executive power and bypassed Congress on immigration reform, saying the country can no longer wait to fix a broken system. The President unveiled his plan during a televised primetime address, in which he outlined a program to temporarily protect as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation by allowing parents whose children are U.S. citizens or in the U.S. legally, to qualify for work permits.
Five things you need to know about the President’s immigration announcement:
- President Obama has the legal authority to act.
- Executive action will bring economic benefits to states and the nation and give immigrants the opportunity to take care of themselves.
- Immigrants will pay fines in order to apply to this program, which will cover administrative costs.
- Status is not automatic; there will be an application process.
- This is a first step but not a permanent solution.
While this is a significant reprieve for the undocumented population and a tremendous win for the immigration reform movement, it is not a permanent solution. Almost half of the undocumented immigrant population will be left out—most notably, people who have no U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate children. The executive action is meant to be a temporary fix since it does not provide permanent status and can be undone with the stroke of the president’s pen. But it is a first step and will set the table for broader immigration reform because it will bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the legal system as they are vetted during the application process.
This is an important moment in history of the United States. The reform is significant for a lot of communities, including the Eritrean community. Rahiel Tesfamariam, the founder of UrbanCusp.com and an Eritrean-American, came to the U.S. as a child on a six month visa for a wedding during the Eritrean War of Independence. For years, Rahiel attended public schools as an undocumented child. She states that her status as an undocumented student was a “haunting, ever-looming threat for me – even as a child”. She ultimately was granted, ‘alien status,’ and like many of us, issues of immigration remained a factor her entire life. Rahiel goes on to say, “My mother has yet to have all of her children in the same room at once. We span three continents. When applying to Stanford (where she completed her undergraduate studies), I wrote about how my passport changed the course of my life, allowing me access to education in ways not possible for my parents and siblings. I didn’t gain U.S. citizenship until I was a Stanford senior. I am an immigrant whose story originates in the dark shadows of the American Dream.”
Most Eritreans have encountered the woes of immigration, either directly or through their support of a family member. Although there’s still a lot more work to do, President Obama’s actions are a step in the right direction and will hopefully allow many Eritreans to achieve legal status.
As we celebrate with our families and express our gratitude, let us give for the journeys that brought us all here. With that, Happy Thanksgiving!