Never Settle

Earlier this month I returned to Philadelphia for the capstone of my Eisenhower Fellowship, which took me to Germany and Mexico last year.  The highlight of my days in Philly was a meeting and dinner with General Colin Powell, the chairman of Eisenhower Fellowships. He related how his own parents had come to the United States from Jamaica, pursuing the promise of a better life for themselves.  America made good on that promise, and in return it received a true patriot, a loyal soldier, and an accomplished diplomat.

General Powell remains a strong advocate for comprehensive immigration reform, noting that “our country couldn’t function without them.” He’s right, of course.  As a recent article from the Brookings Institution argued, “Immigrants generate dynamism and aspiration… where this [immigration] debate ends will tell us a great deal about the trajectory of the nation. An America that closes its doors will be an America that has chosen to settle rather than grow, that has allowed security to trump dynamism.”

America has never settled, and it shouldn’t start now. We must continue to welcome these New Americans, and part of that is providing good healthcare. While the Affordable Care Act has provided some relief, the uninsured rate for the foreign born still hovers around 27%, with Hispanics faring the worst at over 30%.  That needs to change, and it will when we remember that, as a nation of immigrants, when we care for them, we care for ourselves and our future.