Happy Wednesday everyone - The central theme in Houston this week has been "rebuilding." The lasting effects of our storm will be felt for months if not years, and as I write, another hurricane has devastated Puerto Rico, several Caribbean islands, and is poised to make a potential landing in Florida. As Houston continues to rebuild from Harvey and as areas start that process in the wake of Irma, there will be a lot of thought and attention on trying to plan for the future. Now, this week, there are several people in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico that will have to juggle the uncertainty of those post-storm futures with a new, additional uncertainty.
Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico host approximately 160,000 DACA recipients, some of whom have weathered the impacts of Hurricane Harvey and others who may potentially experience impacts from Hurricane Irma. In Houston, some DACA recipients got in boats and rescued neighbors, including one who lost his life. Many others experienced the very loss that we all did. They were part of their communities and experienced everything that we all did. In Florida and Puerto Rico, I can only imagine that others will likely have similar stories.
These recipients have woven themselves into their communities, and are connected to a larger central debate about immigration in this country. For most, if not all, DACA recipients did not choose themselves to be part of this debate, as they came to the US with their parents at a young age and with little to no understanding of what that meant. Yet they face this uncertainty about their future nonetheless.
This larger debate on immigration asks the key question, "What does it mean to be an American?" There was never going to be an easy black and white answer to that question, as those kinds of answers have never done our nation justice. Our nation has always been as complicated and nuanced as the individuals that make it up. The answer will continue to change, morph, evolve, and grow as the nation does. Our challenge is to come to grips with a modern day answer to that central question. An answer that can eliminate the uncertainty that 800,000 people now face. An answer that can account for neighbors helping neighbors. An answer that reflects the kinds of communities that makes up our country and the kinds of people we celebrate. It will not be an easy process, nor will the answer be universally accepted. However, there are kids now facing an uncertainty they didn't ask for and a potential future they can't imagine. They deserve that we face their reality.
Houston, Texas - American Youth