Nobody who grows up in Iran decides to study in the United States on a whim.
On Monday, I met with 24 Mississippi State students from Iran, all but two of them enrolled in PhD. programs, most of them in engineering fields.
All had intended to finish their educations and stay. They are among Iran’s brightest and best and, in the span of an hour, you realize they have more faith in the American Dream than many native-born Americans.
It has long been that way with immigrants, of course. For immigrants, the opportunities America represents are not assumed. They are not a birthright, not something to be ignored or unappreciated. For them, it is a remarkable, life-altering chance, and they are willing to make enormous sacrifices to secure the rights, privileges and opportunities may of us take for granted. That fire burns most brightly in those who come here, leaving all behind, judging what lies before them far more valuable than what lies behind. Immigrants remain the best testament to the promise of America.
Yet in the days since President Trump announced a temporary ban on access to the U.S. For those born in seven Muslim nations, these students – like so many others in our country – have seen their faith in the American ideal badly shaken. In the span of a few days, they are shocked, disappointed, uncertain of a future that they had so meticulously planned for and so diligently worked to achieve.
Consider what is required for an Iranian student to make it to the U.S.
For starters, there is the matter of acquiring a U.S. student visa. Because there is no U.S. Embassy in Iran, student must arrange to go through a neighboring country where there is an embassy, often a months-long, expensive odyssey.
Then, there is the matter of moving thousands of miles away from home and hearth and loved ones to take up residence in a strange land in a strange culture, enduring the humiliation and injustice of being viewed as a coarse caricature of Islam, a shameful, ignorant distortion that seems to have gained legitimacy with the arrival of a new president.
They are bright, capable, dedicated students. Of the 24 who gathered in the Colvard Student Union, all 24 said they wanted to stay. They have not so much as rejected their home as they have embraced America.
The truth is that they aspire to the ideals that have drawn generations of immigrants to the so many previous generations.
“We could have gone anywhere to study, but we chose America,” a student observed. “Why? The American Dream. We believe in it.”
That belief, as noted, comes with a price. The price just went up, and for no good reason.
Thanks to Trump’s executive order, these students are cut off from their families. They cannot leave to visit, nor can their families come to America to visit.
“It’s hard on us,” said one female student. “But it’s hardest of all on our moms.”
At this point, a question emerges: What good comes of this?
Not a single person from the seven banned countries has killed an American on U.S. soil in 40 years. The idea this ban makes us safer is a lie, a delusion, and a cruel one at that.
“Governments are not the people,” said one student. “The government in the United States is not the people. The government in Iran is not the people. People don’t hate, but governments can and do. I still believe in America because I believe in the people of America.”
As Americans, the question is; Do we?
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected]
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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