Immigrant’s Story of Life, Liberty, And the Pursuit of Happiness
Americans have long enjoyed the fruits of the brave Declaration by our forefathers that “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” are unalienable rights of all, meaning that they could not be taken away from, nor given away by, the possessor of these rights. Understanding first-hand that governments can present a threat to these rights, they adopted a Constitution whose framework strove to prevent this infringement. But in order to preserve individual and state rights, it is a relatively fragile document that citizens must constantly work to preserve.
There is no question that over the years, our country has become strong and vibrant through the influx of eager immigrants beckoned here by the beacon of light from Lady Liberty. The life experience that recent immigrants bring with them allow us to see the state of our country more clearly, and it is a worrisome picture. Below, is a letter from an immigrant citizen that holds a mirror up for all Americans to ponder. I was born in the Panama Canal Zone and, like the author, I was exposed to tyranny during the Noriega regime. What she writes resonates with me and may also with many other Hispanic Floridians that suffered under other authoritarian governments in Latin American and the Caribbean, whether they were military juntas, communist regimes, or any other dictatorial form. The letter reveals clearly that the current custodians of our government are leading Americans down a perilous path. While the government derives its “powers from the consent of the governed,” voters must unite to ensure that the holders of these powers use them justly. We must act bravely, as our forefathers did.
Dear fellow citizen,
My name is Mildred Garcia, and I am a Venezuelan immigrant, a physician and a mom. I came to this country looking for a better future for my family and for myself. I am now a proud US citizen, and I am grateful for the opportunities this great country has afforded us.
In this upcoming election, I plan to vote for Joe Biden. When I share this with people, I am sometimes asked questions like these: “But didn’t you come here from a communist country? Why do you support Joe Biden”? I would like to take this opportunity to explain why a Venezuelan immigrant supports Joe Biden for President. First, let me state clearly that I was never a socialist or a communist; I opposed Chavez since day one. My husband and I marched, protested, organized, and voted against Chavez to the point that we even got blacklisted and were subjected to workplace discrimination for our dissent. We fought the regime uninterruptedly until we made the difficult and sad decision to leave our homeland.
When I see Biden’s platform, his record, or his agenda, I do not see anything that resembles what I suffered at the hands of the Chavez/Maduro dictatorship. The fact that someone wants to provide affordable healthcare, institute fair taxation, invest in education, tackle climate change, and treat immigrants with dignity and respect does not strike me as a far-left agenda. Many democratic countries along the political spectrum enjoy these things. Joe Biden’s plan will not abolish private property, establish confiscatory taxes, make the government take over the means of production, or interfere with the free market.
Now, let me share with you what does remind me of the darkest hours I lived in Venezuela: the authoritarianism of President Trump. Tyranny comes in right-wing and left-wing varieties. Chavez appointed family members and cronies to key cabinet positions, disregarding merits, or qualifications. Chavez did not tolerate any criticism or dissent, taking personal offense every time. He encouraged a cult of his personality. He attacked and silenced the free press. He used tear gas against peaceful protestors. He used vulgar language against his opponents. He mistreated his wives. He used hateful language to divide the country, sowing division amongst countrymen, and even amongst family members. The worst legacy of chavismo is a long trail of divorces, parents and kids and siblings who cut ties with each other because civilized cohabitation became impossible. Chavez eschewed, mocked, and derided experts when their recommendations contradicted him. Chavez worked every day to sow distrust in our institutions and our elections. He took the side of foreign countries like Cuba, Iran, and China over his own fellow citizens because it suited him politically. Under Chavez, people who did not support him were not constituents to be persuaded; we became traitors. Adversaries and dissenters were not patriots who disagreed, we became enemies to be vanquished. We were accused of being spies, foreign agents and traitors. I have seen President Trump engage in all the aforementioned behaviors.
Chavez divided us to the point we were no longer one country rowing towards a common purpose; we became a fractured society, where one side tried to crush the other, perceiving each other as an existential threat. We became a resentful people and exported untold amounts of exiles, emigres, and refugees. We went from a nation who took in generations of immigrants, due to our prosperity and generosity, to a nation of misery where the only viable option was to pack up and leave.
Recently, we started teaching our five-year-old son the Pledge of Allegiance. Its last seven words read “…indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” I fear we will not remain indivisible if the current Commander-in-Chief keeps doing what he has been doing. The USA can fracture too; the fabric of our civil society will be torn asunder if continued to be pulled by four more years of hateful rhetoric.
For all these reasons, it is Donald Trump’s, rather than Joe Biden’s behavior, that makes me fear for the future of this nation. It is his flaws as a leader that make me worry that this country can turn into Venezuela. We the people of the United States must return to a common purpose, to see ourselves as us. We must not allow Donald Trump to turn this great country into us vs them.
Mildred Garcia, MD
