Immigrants Are Essential

This post is sponsored by MomsRising.

When I was in college I used to occasionally come home from afternoon classes and drink mate and spread room temperature butter onto saltine crackers before dusting them with sugar. It was a quiet ritual, but one that I found myself entering into whenever I was homesick or missed my grandma.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a family that included my Argentinian grandmother, where Spanish was spoken just as regularly as English. She didn’t cook much, but I could always count on her for an afternoon snack of arroz con leche or those buttery, lightly sugared saltines; which I still think about now in my 30s when I’m sad or not feeling well.

My latina heritage is something that I’ve always been proud of and passionate about, even if I don’t always give it the time or space in my life that it deserves (almost every year I find myself writing “practice your Spanish” on my list of New Year’s Resolutions). My abuela passed away when I was just 10 years old, but my love for her and my respect for where she came from lives on in little and not-so little ways: every time I share yerba mate with my mom or brother, whenever I read a story to my daughter in Spanish, and every time I vote.

Being a second-generation American has always been a source of pride for me and my brother. Our grandparents brought my mom and her sister to the United States for a better life and now we’re here today, forever grateful for their sense of adventure and optimism. They leaned on their family and their neighbors and invested in their community and created a lovely life for future generations.

COVID-19 has shown us that now more than ever, we are dependent on each other, and whether we’re Black or white, Latino or Asian, native or newcomer, we know it’s time to pull together to demand the testing, treatment, and time off we all need to get or stay well. Only by standing together can we ensure our own wellbeing through this outbreak and rewrite the rules to ensure better health for all of us for generations to come. 

Immigrants’ contributions to the economy and society are indispensable during the pandemic. From healthcare to agriculture, 70% of farmworkers and 40% of food packers are immigrants. They are putting their lives on the line to keep our economy going. 1 in 6 nurses and 1 in 4 physicians are immigrants. They are putting their lives on the line to keep us safe and healthy. The government response to COVID-19 should reflect this.

What can you do to help? Take 5 seconds to sign this MomsRising petition to implore Congress to include immigrants in relief packages. And, as always, don’t forget to vote! Early voting has already begun in many states. 

Whether it’s your grandma at home making you tea after school or a DACA recipient on the front lines of the pandemic, immigrants are essential.