Do immigrants belong in the United States?

Omotayo Banjo’s “Dreams For Our Children: Immigrant Letters to the Future” is a collection of letters from first- and second-generation parents and parents-to-be which captures their aspirations for their children.

IMMIGRANTS SEEKING THE BEST FOR THEMSELVES

When people gathered in protest to “send them back,” to elected U.S officials of Somalian, Arab and African descent, the voices of dissent seemed to have grown louder than the narratives of the everyday immigrant seeking the best for themselves and future generations like any other U.S. citizen.

We’ve been told that they are the cause for the increase in crime rates and the inequity in the labor force. In actuality, they’re everyday people seeking the best not just for themselves, but future generations.

In reality, immigrants contribute significantly to the workforce and in many ways are a source of U.S. pride.

Immigrants embody the promise of the United States while challenging the country to remember its ideal self, a nation which cherishes equality. Immigrants also revolutionize what it means to be a U.S. citizen, one that accounts for heritage, cultural hybridity and thus a wider perspective on identity.

Immigrants embody the promise of the United States while challenging the country to remember its ideal self.

Banjo’s book includes 20 letters from fathers and mothers who are either immigrants or children of at least one immigrant parent, notating their journeys and offering insights from their paths to guide future generations.

“Dreams For Our Children” is available in paperback and ebook format on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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