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These days it seems that the nationwide controversy over immigration will never end, that it will continue at least until President Trump leaves office.
I'm surprised that in 2026 we have national leaders (Trump, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, and others) who make negative comments about Somalians. They say their goal is to prevent illegal immigration and fraud, but I think it's broader than that.
Trump's attempt to end the citizenship by birth standard and the continuing ICE enforcement activities are evidence. Last winter was the first time I've ever seen situations where non-Caucasians had to carry papers to prove citizenship.
Most of the new immigrants are doing the same thing our families from Europe did more than a century ago. They're coming to the United States with almost nothing but a hope for a better life.
In the next several weeks our local area will have three town celebrations with strong ties to ethnic history. Tyler will host its Danish Aebleskiver Days. Ghent will have Belgian American Days. Ivanhoe will have Polska Kielbasa Days.
They all contain traditions that date back to immigrants. They include the round aebleskiver pancakes, Belgian cookies, rolle bolle, and Polish food.
These traditions never go out of style. Visitors don't have to be Danish or Belgian or Polish to enjoy them. They're offered for everyone who wants to experience cultural practices that date back many years.
Every reasonable person accepts them. I've never heard anyone call them a throwback, something from the past that's not totally American. In southwest Minnesota, they're as American as baseball, hot dogs and apple pie.
We should apply the same standard to newer immigrants. Somalians, Hispanics and Hmong should be free to enjoy their food, clothing, arts traditions and other symbols of their heritage.
It's discouraging that some people think they should either assimilate or go back to where they came from. We need to look back at our history.
Our ancestors who journeyed to the United States did not assimilate overnight. Many of them came at the urging of relatives. They usually settled in communities or urban neighborhoods where their ethnic group was already established.
They formed churches like St. John Cantius of Wilno and fraternal societies like Sons of Norway. They spoke their native languages at home and in church well into the 20th century. It's no surprise that new immigrants are holding on to some of their tradition in the first several decades of the 21st.
They contribute the same types of things to America that earlier immigrants did. One thing most of them contribute is a work ethic, a willingness to take packing plant jobs and other types of jobs that would otherwise not be filled.
They also bring growing families. The young children will gradually learn English and become involved in activities like sports and music.
Someday we're likely to have new immigrants who grow up to be doctors, engineers, agency directors, teachers and college professors. They don't have to be born into wealth to do those things. All it takes is a love of learning combined with a willingness to work hard toward long term goals.
Another contribution is culture. Diversity has enriched our region. It should be enriched even more in the future by celebrating Cinco de Mayo, the Chinese New Year and other holiday occasions that are now part of the region's big picture.
We should go to those celebrations. We should want to learn about our new neighbors. We should also learn about those who were here first, the indigenous cultures who have events like the annual Wacipi.
Census statistics indicate that new immigrants are what has enabled many small cities to grow. Without them, populations would have declined.
For many years immigration has been good for the national, state and local economy. It's important that newcomers have a chance to shop on Main Street, patronize service businesses, send kids to schools, buy houses and pay property taxes.
The United States has historically meant freedom and opportunity. People have kept their old country ties but changed as a result of living halfway around the world.
It's great that more than 30 years ago Lincoln County's local tourism promoters labeled the region Little Europe and that a movie crew from Belgium in 1993 called Ghent Minnesota "more Belgian than Belgium."
Diversity should continue to thrive. It's hard to go wrong when people with many different cultural backgrounds come together to create vibrant communities.
-- Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent