By Shannon Teabo
“No one leaves home unless home
Is the mouth of a shark
You only run for the border
When you see the whole city running as well”
The words of poet Warsan Shire burn through the body and soul; igniting compassion and empathy for those who are forced to flee from the people and places they love.
This was the simple ask of the devoted members of Grassroots Central Mass, a division of Indivisible; to feel for the people who have no choice but to run from the horrors or else be swallowed by them.
The presentation on the myths and facts of immigration in the United States, delivered on May 10 at the Joshua Hyde Library in Sturbridge, MA, was spearheaded by the chair of the Grassroots Racial and Social Justice Committee, Jeana Edmonds, along with fellow dedicated members Jasmin Rivas, Eric von Bleicken, and David Niles.
We should not need to be asked to feel compassion towards fellow humans, but the world we are living in is so far from perfect that it indeed appears to be necessary. The beautiful poem titled “Home” read by Jasmin was only a part of the extremely informative and myth busting presentation.
Jeana began the presentation with a full house and a lovely anecdote of her youth and the effect of one of the most powerful symbols of our country; the Statue of Liberty. She read the inscribed words of Emma Lazarus:
Give me your tired,
your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to
breathe free.
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
Jeana is not alone in feeling the wonder and majesty of Lady Liberty. Her immortal words reflect the true value and dream of the United States of America; a dream that has become a nightmare. Lies and misinformation have taken hold in what was once the land of the free. Covered faces and terror now live in the home of the brave. We have forsaken the words of our Lady in favor of fear and hatred.
But all hope is not lost – not so long as those brave enough are willing to carry the torch, to light up the dark and uncover the truth, to stand for those who have been made too afraid to stand for themselves. The aforementioned members, especially Jeana, are those brave enough. They dispelled modern myths such as immigrants don’t pay taxes (they do), immigrants are all criminals (they are not), and immigrants “scam the system” (they do not). All of these facts were backed by extensive research and data, primarily compiled by David, from many reputable sources, including government websites.
A brief history of immigration in the United States, presented by Eric, showed that the issue has long been contentious and frequently quite difficult. The reality is that becoming a citizen as an immigrant is not as easy as the average person seems to realize and often-times it is actually impossible. It can take years and many thousands of dollars to become a U.S. citizen – not to mention ever changing laws and landscape. Immigration is not as cut and dry as many believe.
Along with this valuable information, that is not being shared amongst mainstream sources, the presentation ended with information equally if not more valuable – namely what we can do to change the narrative. Resources were provided such as descriptions and web addresses for the MIRA Coalition, the Office for New Americans in Worcester, and Know Your Rights campaigns sponsored by organizations like the ACLU.
We too can be brave and shine light on the truth. We can be the ones to show compassion and empathy, and perhaps others will be led by our example. Bravery is contagious, and we will not let fear rule us.
There will be another wonderful presentation on immigration at the Jacob Edwards Library in Southbridge, MA on August 11, 2025 at 6:30 pm. It is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.
