Letter to the editor: Column shows human side of immigration

I read Ann Healey’s column about the undocumented woman, Rocio Mendez. I enjoyed reading it and can’t help but wonder how many millions of untold stories like hers there must be. Stories of true perseverance and courage, struggle and sacrifice; that we in our soft, comfortable, suburban lives would probably never have done so well to improve our lot in life, or even survived. 

Now we have all these children appearing at our borders, fleeing unthinkable violence in their home countries. What amazing stories they could probably share despite the very few years they have lived on this earth. And yet our nation has plenty of cold heartless souls standing at the border to taunt and insult them, hoping to scare and degrade them enough that they will go back home.

Anyway, I am glad you shared Rocio’s story. If more writers would share such stories, perhaps people would realize that such important issues as immigration are not about American jobs and resources, arbitrary political borders, or protecting the dominance of one domestic ethnicity over another. No, they are about human lives, and selfless good people pushed to such horrible extremes that they would do anything to make a better life for themselves and their families. 

David Anderson

Arvada