but immigrants built
this country, we should admire
them and respect them
Auburn basketball legend Charles Barkley sounded off about immigrant treatment in America during Sunday’s March Madness broadcast on CBS. Discussing UConn’s Alex Karaban and his family’s journey to the U.S., Barkley spoke out about current immigration practices in the country.
“I wanna be very careful with my words right now,” Barkley began. “Cause this is a really touchy subject for me. I love that kid (Karaban) and his family. But the way some of these other immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace.”
“I think there is a difference between amazing immigrants and criminal immigrants.
And I think what’s going on in our country — I think what we’re doing to some of these amazing immigrants is really unfortunate and it’s really sad.
That’s a great immigrant story, we have a lot of great immigrant stories out there who — they stories need to be told but some of the stuff that’s happening to immigrants in our country is really unfortunate and its really unfair.
But immigrants built this country, we should admire them and respect them.”
From the article, “Charles Barkley says treatment of immigrants in US is ‘travesty and disgrace:’ ‘It’s really sad’” by Andrew Hammond.
7 of my eight great grand parents immigrated from the Netherlands in the late 1800s.
The other great great grand parent immigrated from England in 1847 and when he was 18, he joined the Union Army and went south to fight for freedom.
I don’t know that anyone asked for his ID when he signed up.
I don’t know that anyone asked for his passport when he signed up.
Just a kid and as a part of the 16th Michigan Volunteer Infantry, he marched in front of Abraham Lincoln in Washington.
Fought for freedom and got shot for it and came back home to Michigan and then got married and the way those things work out, it led to me being here.
A great immigrant story.
I have to agree with Sir Charles and I thank him for his words.
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