President Obama on Tuesday cautioned Americans against casting debate about immigration reform as “us versus them,” an aspect he said has repeated itself throughout American history.
When debating who is allowed the privilege of being a United States citizen, “it’s easy sometimes for the discussion to take on a feeling of us versus them,” Obama said in Las Vegas, Nevada. “And when that happens, a lot of folks forget that most of us used to be them. We forget that. It is really important for us to remember our history. Unless you are one of the first Americans, Native American, you came from someplace else. Somebody brought you.”
Obama continued: “When each new wave of immigrants arrived, they faced resistance from those who were already here. They faced hardship. They faced racism. They faced ridicule. But over time as they went about their daily lives, as they earned a living, as they raised a family, as they built a community, as their kids went to school here they did their part to build the nation.”
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