Today’s IPE class featured discussion of Europe’s immigration policies and challenges. In much of the discussion, the US (along with Australia and Canada) was held up as an example of “good” immigration culture. Perhaps I’ve become so bogged down by the US media, where immigration is always a hot topic and our policies are always portrayed as needing to be “fixed,” but it was interesting to hear the perspective of 80+ students from other countries. Apparently the US isn’t doing such a bad job.
One thing this course has driven home to me is that I took so many things for granted growing up in the US. Many, many other places in the world enjoy so much less wealth, freedom, and . . . hope than we do; I feel very fortunate to have, through no fault of my own, had the opportunities I have had. As my Romanian-American classmate points out, perhaps I’m still riding high on the excellent representation of the US brought to us by yesterday’s visit from Warren Buffett. Either way, I’m proud to be an American and God bless America!