The United States of America is known as the world’s melting pot and every year on October 28 National Immigrants Day is observed and celebrated. This day should help us reflect on the reasons that makes this country such a unique place and set it apart from the rest of the countries in the world. As Americans, we should be proud of our long history of welcoming immigrants from all parts of the world and value their contributions to our nation’s blend of cultures, customs, and traditions. This is precisely what makes our country such a strong and exceptional nation.
On October 16, 1987, President Ronald Reagan, officially proclaimed October 28 as National Immigrants Day stating that, “Our national celebration of Immigrants Day is a moving reminder to us that America is unique among the nations. We are the sons and daughters of every land across the face of the Earth, yet we are an indivisible Nation. We are one people, and we are one in that which drew our forebears here — the love of freedom’s Holy Light.”
This year, National Immigrants Day coincides with the 101st anniversary of the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty; the beloved statue Emma Lazarus called ‘Mother of Exiles, from whose beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome.’
Unlike any other country on the earth, America was built and developed by immigrants, making it the great experiment in freedom and individual rights. Either by birth or by choice, all Americans share the same flag and constitution and we are bound together by our shared history as a land of opportunity. Nonetheless, there are many challenges faced by those that come to this country and hope to quickly adjust, integrate and thrive.
The YWCA Northwestern Illinois Immigrant Services offer a wide variety of services and programs for communities in Winnebago, Boone, Jo Daviess, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Dekalb counties in Illinois. Immigrant programs are not limited to the Latino/Hispanic population, but can serve immigrants from any background.
Each year YWCA La Voz Latina receives hundreds of calls or visits with questions about where to obtain a particular service or what they should do about a given situation. Our staff has access to information about a variety of topics and services to assist those individuals. We also can refer clients to other organizations if they are looking for a service we are unable to provide. We feel that being a resource to our community is one of the most important roles that we play; providing support through information sharing helps strengthen our community and facilitates immigrant adaptation to living in our area.
We highly encourage you to get familiar with immigrant services in the community and the history of immigration. Some of the things you can do may include researching your family’s background and pathway to US citizenship, visiting history museums that include the history of immigration, and taking the U.S. citizenship test. For general questions and information, you can also contact our agency and speak to our staff about other ways to learn about immigrants and their history.
-Diego Valdivia, Director of Immigrant Services at YWCA Northwestern Illinois
