By Brandon Case
Pratt columnist
Special to the Tribune

Perhaps you’ve the seen this T-shirt: four American Indian warriors (not sure which tribe) stand with rifles in hand beneath the words “Homeland Security” and “Fighting terrorism since 1492” imprinted below.

It’s a message that resonates in our day. Who is an American? When we say immigrant, what does that mean?

If we are honest, we will see the product of immigration when we look in the mirror. America is a land of immigrants. To say that we are Americans … means that we came from someplace else.

True, many reading this were born here, just as, for many, our parents, grandparents, and maybe even great-grandparents were (and even further back for many). We who were born in the USA have an American heritage.

But we also have immigrant heritage. It’s in our very DNA.

Our ancestors left their homeland for various reasons. Some came to these shores in search of opportunity; some came to escape oppression; some came to escape violence and the threat of death. These are just a few of the many reasons why people have been coming to America, from the Mayflower through today.

While America may be at a point where it can’t accept everyone who desires to come here, we yet have room for many within the borders of our nation.

To allow this to happen in an orderly and efficient manner the immigration system in our country needs to be fixed. The problem is (and has been) that our political leaders can’t seem to agree on what needs to be done. Either we open the floodgates and let everyone in or else we seal up the border and to try to keep everyone out.

The answer, I believe, lies somewhere in between.

What we really need is an expedited pathway to become an American citizen. That way, those who come here to better themselves (and subsequently contribute to the betterment of our country); those who

arrive as refugees, seeking a new beginning; and, those who seek the light of liberty that America represents will have a legal and efficient means to do so.

In some ways, this is an obligation we have to the immigrants who came before us—the ones that comprise our DNA.

Now it’s up to our politicians to do what is best for our country and its future immigrants, not just that which garners the most votes.