The “Summer of Hate” is coming to a close. That’s what I have dubbed the summer of 2017: the “Summer of Hate.”
The 1967 “Summer of Love” has had its fiftieth anniversary commemorated by the “Summer of Hate.” This was a summer that saw Neo-Nazis invade the parks and the streets to “take back America.” These haters insult the memory of the immigrants who helped build our great nation and threaten the very existence of the United States of America. This also was a summer that saw one or more of the counter-protesters reportedly choose urine as their weapon of civil disobedience. Finally, it was a summer in which the possible repeal of DACA could mean the loss of people whose future contributions to our country may be the true mechanism by which America maintains its greatness.
A Country Built by Immigrants
I continue to dwell on the fact that this country was built by immigrants. These included the Pilgrims who left their native land because they were no longer welcome there. It included African men, women, and children who were taken to America against their will and enslaved, and who tirelessly pursued much-deserved equality. It included Latino and Asian immigrants, and Middle East and African refugees.
The list of immigrants goes on and on. We continue to be a land of immigrants, looking for a brighter future, willing and able to contribute to the greatness of America. For some reason, there seems to be a belief‒perhaps a romanticized revisionist history‒that the immigrants of yesteryear built this country and made great contributions (which, of course, they did). However, this belief holds, the immigrants of today are criminals, terrorists, and life-long welfare recipients.
In my opinion, this is ridiculous from so many perspectives. I meet immigrants, including refugees, in my medical practice who are grateful to be in the United States and are striving to succeed and contribute.
My Grandparents Were Immigrants, Too
My own grandparents, who were immigrants from Italy, faced the same animosity when they came here in the early 1900s as many immigrants are met with today. Yes, they were called “Wops, Guineas, Greaseballs, and Degos.” Every nationality seems to have encountered its share of derogatory terms.
And yet they persevered. They worked in abysmal conditions so they could build a life that would provide greater opportunities for their children, and their children’s children. My grandparents worked as seamstresses and tailors in sweatshops so they could provide my parents with the ability to finish high school and to obtain blue-collar jobs. My parents’ hard work, in turn, allowed me to get a great public school education in a blue-collar town, to gain early acceptance to medical school, to train in residency at Harvard, and to have a career as a head and neck cancer surgeon.
I’d like to think that my patients, who are cancer survivors, are glad that this grandson of immigrants from Italy did not have his ancestors sent back to their native countries before the promise of the American Dream was fulfilled.
At the risk of sounding like an egomaniac, I am that American Dream. I am the descendant of immigrants, and I have strived to make America great ‒ and, in fact, even greater.
Why are today’s immigrants different? Why is DACA under the threat of repeal?
We may have problems with our immigration system, but we need to find a better solution than repealing DACA. To believe that today’s immigrants are somehow different from our ancestors is shortsighted and, in my estimation, ludicrous. We don’t make America great by turning away talent, by deporting productive people, or by closing our doors and building walls. We make America great by embracing what we are: a land of opportunity and promise, and a country of dreams and successful realities.
Solace in the Summer of Hate
Is there any solace we can find in this “Summer of Hate?” There is some.
As is often the case, we find harmony and collaboration in the face of disaster. We’ve seen proof that, ultimately, we can come together in this great nation. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused tremendous destruction, loss of life, loss of property, and uncertainty about the future for so many who were in its path. Yet, the outpouring of support by so many people across our nation exemplifies who we truly are as Americans.
Like the tiny voice at the bottom of Pandora’s Box, Hope rises up when all seems lost. That Hope comes from a nation of people who do not ask how many of the affected are immigrants, how many are enrolled in DACA, or how many are documented or undocumented. In the wake of the disaster, volunteers and contributors step up because it is the right thing to do. They don’t ask about ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and employment status. They simply know people are in need, and they do what they need to do ‒ in fact, they do more, if possible.
The point is, we seem to need a disaster to realize that we are all Americans. We come together, in spite of differences. In fact, we are made great because of our differences. Together, we make this nation the amazing place it is.
Remove Hate, Collaborate
As a country, we have room for improvement. We have our faults and shortcomings. But our ability to collaborate to provide unconditional support for people who need it is what makes America great.
It’s been a long summer. This grandson of immigrants is off to the operating room to remove a large voice box cancer in the hope of allowing a man ‒ 52 years old and thus a year younger than I ‒ to survive this devastating disease. I don’t think he minds being in the hands of a proud Italian-American. We play music in the operating room. I think today’s set list will include: the Monkees’ I’m a Believer and Daydream Believer; the Beatles’ Penny Lane and All You Need Is Love; Aretha Franklin’s Respect; and the Turtles’ Happy Together.
After all, those were some of Billboard’s number one songs in 1967, the “Summer of Love.”
Bravo Arthur! I too have cringed watching the news this summer, with hatred being the recurring theme. I too love this country and implore people to find a little kindness in their lives every day.