Though I am just a 14-year-old girl caught between two worlds, I would like to offer you some advice

Dear President Donald J. Trump,

I attend a private Quaker school in Pennsylvania, but my parents are not from here. My dad is from Costa Rica, and my mom is from Trinidad and Tobago; because of this I have seen much hatred and confusion targeted toward me and my unique family. This is one of the reasons I have found a haven in the Quaker community for they are accepting of anyone and everyone. I am not here to preach to you about the importance of community and love of all people (including Black and Latino lives); I am here to hopefully open your eyes a little more. Though I am just a 14-year-old girl caught between two worlds, I would like to offer you some advice for your four years in office.

I believe that one of this country’s major issues is immigration. Though many families do enter the United States illegally, there should be a process for them to correct their mistake in a faster way than is available now. I believe that instead of coming in with drugs and crime, they are coming in with hope, faith, and wonder. These were the same foundations that America had when Ellis Island was crowded with people of all cultures hoping to start a new future. This history brought us to who we are today, a melting pot of different races.

Destroying the very reason we are a unique and beautiful country will deplete us of many special and beautiful moments. By joining our unique traits and cultures, we become a country that is vibrant, colorful, and special. We should be tearing walls down, not building them up. When our ancestors arrived on the shores of this country and saw the Statue of Liberty welcoming them, they knew they had reached home. The torch represents the way to freedom, showing us the path to liberty. To me it represents using our inner light to find our way through the darkest hour. I am reaching out to you, reaching out to your light, hoping that you will see the light in others, no matter where they come from. By unifying people of all types and cultures, we will create a stronger and better America. Let us keep the parts of history that make us the unique nation we strive to be.

Sincerely,

Sahmara Cherise Spence Rogers, Grade 9, Westtown School