We Are Boston
Yesterday, we honored We Are Boston: our annual celebration of Boston’s immigrant heritage and our city’s diversity. I wanted to share my remarks from the event with you, because it’s important in times like these that we continue to speak up and let the world know what we stand for.
We Are Boston is a wonderful celebration of Boston’s diversity, and our proud identity as a city of immigrants.
Here in Boston, twenty-eight percent of our residents are foreign-born. Forty-eight percent of students from Boston Public Schools are first-generation Americans. My own parents were immigrants who came to Boston from Ireland. Starting new in a different country wasn’t easy, and they had their hardships. But with the support of their Boston community, they were able to make a better life for me and my brother.
So many other families have similar hopes of making better lives for themselves and their children. Our city has long been a refuge — for people fleeing persecution, hunger and war, and discrimination. We’re a city that welcomes everyone, no matter your skin color, your religion, or where you come from. We recognize that our diversity makes us a stronger, more successful, city. And we continue to move forward — and show America a better way forward.
Right now, our country’s values are still under attack. Look at the atrocities happening at our border. Families desperate to flee violence in their home countries come to America to seek shelter and safety. But instead of a safe harbor, those families fleeing for their lives are met with tear gas, and even more violence.
What is happening is horrific. It’s unacceptable. It’s not what America should stand for.
It’s easy to feel helpless. But it also gives us an important choice to make. We can accept this as the new normal. Or, we can stand up to it, and fight back.
That’s what Boston’s been doing, time and time again. That’s what we did this past summer when the Trump Administration tried to rip apart immigrant families. That’s what we did when they tried to stop immigrants from getting public benefits that they deserve. We’re going to keep fighting for immigrant families. Because no matter what happens, Boston will continue to lead the way and set an example for the rest of the nation.
But making sure Boston is a truly inclusive city takes dedication and hard work. It’s about the actions we take, every single day, to make Boston a welcoming place for all.
That is the core of my Office of Immigrant Advancement. They put our values into action. The work they do every day has a direct impact on the people they serve — from helping someone get a free consultation with an immigrant lawyer, to connecting newcomers to an immigration workshop, to supporting the many local organizations that work with immigrant families across our neighborhoods.
This is the work that “We Are Boston” supports. The proceeds from this night go directly back to the communities the Office of Immigrant Advancement serves. It goes to mini grants, awarded to immigrant-led community-based organizations all across our city. Last year, 10 mini grants went to organizations to help fund crucial programs — like “Know Your Rights” workshops, legal screening clinics, application assistance, and critical resources for Puerto Rican hurricane evacuees.
As a City, we will continue to support the Office of Immigrant Advancement and their amazing work. Let’s help them grow their outreach — so they can support even more great organizations, and let every immigrant family in our city know we are here to support them.
We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we know one thing for sure: Boston will always be a welcoming city and we will always stand in solidarity with our immigrant communities.
