Give me your tired, your poor

La Bruja: Cowboys and Immigrants.

La Bruja, a poet, hip-hop/reggaeton artist and activist from the Bronx, makes an excellent point: our recent immigration policies often are hypocritical. After all, the statue of Liberty makes it pretty clear how we once felt, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Now, that doesn’t mean I think the entire global population could be supported within the United States, but as La Bruja points out, these people often risk their lives to come to the U.S., work back-breaking jobs, only to get deported. While people are very divided on this issue and there are many different possible solutions (but few that, so far, would appeal to everyone), it’s important to remember why immigration is so important, and why it has often fueled our country—and it’s something we all can agree on.

Immigration, and more importantly diversity, allow us to see the world in a new perspective. It brings new thoughts and ideas to the table. America isn’t a country that runs on a plan, it’s a country that was founded on an idea: freedom. And the beauty of an idea is that it is ever changing, it ebbs and flows with the times and with each influence a mind has on it. If history has taught us anything, it’s that great ideas can come from unexpected people.

So, you’re shaking your head yes, and wondering, “But how do I convince people that don’t agree with me?” Well, a sad, but very true principle in marketing is that you sell people their pain, meaning you find out what their problems are and tell them how your “product” will solve them. So, most unprogressives (yeah, I made that up), are most likely pretty sore about the economy (as are most of us), allowing bright, promising minds and people with tenacious work ethics to immigrate to our country will actually help America keep it’s competitive edge in the global market. Also playing into values is key to winning people over – we all can disagree on certain issues, but it’s much harder to argue about freedom, equality, innovation and opportunity.