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Singer John Legend called for people to be kinder to the Haitian immigrants in his hometown of Springfield, Ohio, after the town has become the target of right-wing anti-immigrant attacks this week.
Immigrants “saw opportunity for themselves and their families in the American dream,” he said in an Instagram post yesterday after Trump mentioned Springfield and unfounded claims about immigrants eating pets during the debate earlier this week.
Legend detailed the job opportunities that Haitian immigrants filled in recent years as the numbers of native Ohioans in his town dwindled.
“So, we had a lot of job opportunities, and we didn’t have enough people in our town of 60,000 people to fill those jobs,” he said, adding that upheaval in Haiti led to more immigrants from that country being allowed into the United States.
Legend said the rapid influx of immigrants led to “some challenges with integrating a new population” and providing government services. “New language, new culture, new dietary preferences. All kinds of reasons why there might be growing pains,” he said.
“But the bottom line is these people came to Springfield because there were jobs for them and they were willing to work,” he said. “They wanted to live the American dream, just like your German ancestors, your Irish ancestors, your Italian ancestors, your Jewish ancestors. Your Jamaican ancestors, your Polish ancestors — all these ancestors who moved to this country.”
Immigrants “usually do very well here,” he continued, adding that “they will assimilate and integrate in time, but it takes time. So I think all of us need to have the same kind of grace that we would want our ancestors to have when they moved here with our Haitian brothers and sisters.”
“Nobody’s eating cats. Nobody’s eating dogs. We all just want to live and flourish and raise our families in a healthy and safe environment. How about we love one another?” Legend said.
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