Immigrants as citizens

 

There are many reasons for migration into the United States.  Often we hear about migration from Central America.  The majority of immigrants from countries in this region migrate to the United States to escape threats to their life as well as economic reasons. Economic reasons are only one reason for immigration into the US from other parts of the world.  Other reasons include higher education and opportunities to engage in exciting academic, business and other employment opportunities. Many of these immigrants are laser focused on their personal goals and fail to be fully engaged as citizens. The political turmoil we have faced has exposed this limitation of “responsibility as a citizen” as well as the consequences. The United States is a country of immigrants – a fact that has been lost to the many who feel that opportunities have been taken away from them.  The dearth of domestically trained personnel is a major reason for opportunities for already trained immigrants from abroad (part of the “model minority”).

As for the trained immigrants, many fail to adequately integrate, socially and politically.  Immigrants had to wait for the next generation for this integration. To some extent with the election of 2016 immigrants recognized the need to pay attention to activities in the sphere of politics. With the election of 2020 and the insurrection of 6^th January 2021, many citizens are learning how fragile democracy is and that it is something that needs constant tending and attention. There is also much to learn about the US constitution, the responsibilities of the three branches of the government as well as how elections impact the process of governing. As they say “Elections Matter”.

There is also a good deal to learn about the history to understand the basis for many significant issues that have an impact on elections and the process of governing. Voter suppression and gerrymandering are terms that have been discussed. How many immigrants are aware of how these processes are detrimental to fair elections? How many immigrants are aware of how the Electoral College is stacked against the possibility of electing a President with the most popular votes? Hopefully immigrants are learning the need to be knowledgeable in government and civics and be active participants in the political process. It is important for citizens, native born as well as immigrants, to not only vote but have the knowledge to make informed decision at the voting booth.

Immigrants, many known as “the model minority”, are part of the citizenry and have the responsibility to actively participate in the democratic process.  Before we know, the country will be at the 2022 mid-term elections and the 2024 general elections.  Every one of us has a role to play to prevent what happened in 2016, the ordeal the country went through from 2017 to 2021 culminating in the insurrection on 6^th January 2021. The period between elections is important for educating oneself on historical facts (to understand why things are the way they are), critical issues facing many in the country who may not be as fortunate as those considered the model minority as well as how all of us can help in maintain a healthy democracy.

Are we getting close to the end of the quarantine?

 

 

What does it feel like to be done with quarantine? Can we see the light at the end of the tunnel? I recall the day, a year ago, when California went into shelter at home status.

We are not quite done with quarantine.  However, many who have had the two doses of the vaccine have started to step out of quarantine but with the required precautions (mask wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene). The unknowns about the nature of the pandemic were frightening. The rate of hospitalization and deaths were the most impactful of factors creating concern. I can recall how shopping was a cumbersome chore a year ago, with everyone trying to avoid the infection.  Now it has become second nature to take all the required precautions to prevent transmission. The effect of vaccines, in minimizing severity of the disease, as well as greater knowledge on how to treat the disease has been helpful in reducing the concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic to some level.

After a year of quarantine and working from home it is liberating to be able to get back to working in the normal surroundings in the midst of other individuals.  The mere experience of driving and observing the changing scenery is exhilarating.

Getting back to work, outside home, is only one small step.  Having spent one year without social gatherings one wonders when that slice of life will be back. It is likely that for the fore seeable future, it will have to be very small gatherings, outdoors and short visits.

Yet another aspect of life affected by the pandemic has been travel.  Those of us who were starting to take holiday trips greatly miss the travels.  We will likely have to take baby steps towards travelling and holidaying once again.  The first steps will have to be domestic trips, not involving air travel.  This can then be followed by air travel to domestic destinations and finally international travel.  This will all depend on absence of resurgence of the infection. By then populations would have attained herd immunity and things will be back to normal around the world.

COVID-19 swept through the world and dealt a serious blow to life as we know. COVID-19 taught us about pandemics, viral transmission, novel methods to develop vaccines, how vaccines are tested, public health strategies to prevent transmission and the chaos a pandemic can create in individual lives and the world over. With appropriate attention let us hope that we can slowly get back to life as we knew before the pandemic.

Wh