Opinion: Letter to the Editor: Protecting Our Diversity

I want to thank you for publishing the article about the Fairfax For All coalition’s recent activities (“Advocating for Immigrant Protection”).

As the daughter of two immigrants, immigration policy has always been important to me — especially as the debate over deportation and ICE has escalated. My parents were fortunate enough to be able to immigrate legally, and have been citizens for about 10 years, but in examining the data I’ve come to see that that’s most likely to do with the fact that they are white and had college degrees. Our town is so beautifully diverse, and I believe that we’re losing an important part of our culture when immigrants are scared to participate in the community for fear of deportation.

If what Fairfax For All says is true, then there is an entire group of people in our town who are being excluded from important decisions, prevented from seeking medical attention, and afraid to participate in the community — all out of fear. I’m learning just how important these relationships to the community, or social ties, are. They allow individuals a sense of purpose and help them to feel assimilated into this community that we like to profess as being so diverse.

Emma Steinhobel

Herndon