We Are All Immigrants

As I write this, conversations about immigration dominate our national discourse, often marked by division and blame. But I want to offer a different lens through which to view this issue, one grounded in our shared human experience of belonging and displacement.

At its core, the immigrant experience speaks to something universal: the search for safety, opportunity, and a place where we can belong. Whether our ancestors came to this country generations ago or we ourselves arrived more recently, we all carry stories of transition, adaptation, and the courage it takes to navigate unfamiliar terrain.

In my work, I see how deeply the themes of belonging and rejection affect the psyche. When people feel unwelcome or "othered," it activates profound feelings of shame and inadequacy. These are the same wounds that occur in early attachment relationships when a child's authentic self isn't honored or protected. The message becomes: you don't belong, you're not worthy, you're not safe here. Therefore, when we create environments where people feel excluded or threatened, we're not just causing individual psychological harm. We're perpetuating cycles of fear and defensiveness that can potentially affect entire communities and span generations.

Research on attachment and trauma shows us that feelings of safety and belonging are not luxuries; they're fundamental to human development and our overall well-being. What would it look like to approach the immigration conversation from a place of compassion rather than fear? What if we recognized that the desire to find safety and build a better life for one's family isn't a threat—but a deeply human aspiration we all share? And can we hold those complexities, and at the same time create space for both practical concerns and moral imperatives.

In a nation increasingly fractured by polarization, perhaps remembering our common immigrant heritage and our shared need for belonging and acceptance, can help us find our way back to each other. We all want to feel that we matter, that our children will be safe, and we all have a place and a purpose in this world.

That's not a political position. That's the human condition.