migration is one of the greatest
challenges we face today more people are
displaced than ever before over 65
million people that’s approximately the
population of Hungary Austria and Poland
combined when I was preparing for this
talk I found something that might
surprise you but I think this little guy
has a relevant lesson because every
penny I penalize Vonnegut technically in
ecology 7 in cricket Casey at the fire
Kristina / delta T bashed miss VJ attack
hog linked the egg mash tank going Laura
[Music]
your mother finish here Monica shrewish
[Music]
yeah don’t you eat that hey hey I
mean horrible yeah man move on your
because I believe Okeechobee meknes
vamos Hauraki mas today ahora yeah we
all know how that story ends and luckily
VOC makes the right decision so how is
this relevant to the migration issue
since biblical times and beyond humans
have always migrated and it’s always
been challenging up to now we have no
easy answer so maybe we need to look for
solutions in places that aren’t so
obvious this is the lesson that Vogue
teaches us when he decides to drive
directly towards the noisy machines
it feels counterintuitive but he had a
hunch that the situation was more
complex so he got closer to investigate
and he realized that the farmers main
goal was to harvest grain not to kill
foxes then he took a leap of faith
he shows us that expecting clear answers
might not be the solution it might not
even be possible instead maybe we need
to redesign the process of seeking
solutions a shift in strategy that calls
us to realize the innate qualities that
we all possess like strength courage
hope faith resilience and even humility
if we’re brave enough to face our fears
head-on then we can challenge the
assumptions that limit us from
innovating forward stereotypes may or
may not have elements of truth but for
sure they’re incomplete how many of you
are European what other labels can you
use to identify yourself man-woman
Christian Jewish Muslim black white
brown gay does anyone feel comfortable
defining their entire identity with just
one label by labeling people we not only
confined them to an incomplete identity
but we limit ourselves we basically
choose to make critical life decisions
with limited information
so maybe this is actually less about
them and more about me and you and the
choices that we make here we are today
at a TEDx event instead of looking for
differences between us you and I
intentionally come together seeking new
perspectives then we can innovate
forward together you receive me with
curiosity expecting that I have
something valuable to contribute can you
imagine a world where we apply that same
sense of curiosity to everyone around us
no matter what they look like or where
they come from actually I come from the
United States but my grandparents and my
great-grandparents came from here
Eastern Europe Russia Poland and Hungary
they were Jewish refugees seeking to
belong somewhere this is my
great-grandfather Here I am a hundred
years later living into the dream of
freedom and opportunity given to me by a
culture that welcomes my ancestors today
in my role is an immigration lawyer I
have the opportunity to welcome migrants
and refugees from all over the world and
I’ve learned over time that people
generally migrate for three reasons
refuge opportunity or love people like
Esther and her family who fled political
persecution in Haiti
about ten years ago Esther had to learn
English she worked her way through
school and now she’s an award-winning
nurse in Washington DC Alka had came
from Iraq on a fellowship to do research
at Johns Hopkins University and now he’s
a globally recognized cancer research
doctor and Marysol came from Mexico to
join her husband she started a business
she pays taxes they’ve earned enough
money to buy a home and I don’t have her
picture here because she doesn’t have
legal status in the United States even
though her kids are US citizens in 18
years I have never encountered anyone
whose goal was to change their new home
or to do anyone harm people are people
we all just want to find someplace to
belong and to realize our full human
potential it’s far more likely that well
thrive and contribute and even create
opportunity for others in an environment
where we feel a sense of belonging the
United States has its own challenges
with immigration as everybody knows but
historically we have been a nation that
welcomes migrants and refugees and today
25% of all US businesses are started by
immigrants which is significant when you
consider that only 13% of the u.s.
population are migrants still migration
is hard for everyone involved it’s hard
for migrants and it’s hard for receiving
communities especially when we’re
talking about refugees people who are
forcibly displaced from their homes
neither refugees nor the receiving
countries necessarily want to be in this
position but here we are migration is a
reality that we can’t ignore and it
won’t go away 65 million people are not
going to disappear when migration flows
are so massive facts don’t really matter
especially when the media and elected
officials describe this humanitarian
crisis as an invasion great they create
more jobs than the average citizen but
will they change our culture what are
their values
how will they challenge our identity
these are all valid questions the
migration issue cuts to the core of who
we are it forces us to wrestle with
uncertainty and the possibility of
change this is an emotional issue and
you can’t reason with emotions so what
do we do well one option is to build
walls or contain people and until we can
figure out what to do with them but does
that really work facts aside
how do walls and containers make us feel
it reminds me when I was a kid afraid of
the dark
hoping desperately that if I just pulled
the sheets over my head I would be safe
but that never worked because I still
didn’t understand what was out there in
the dark night I only felt safe trapped
in my bed with the sheets pulled over my
head walls and containers keep us
trapped in a state of uncertainty
uncertainty lingers in the unknown and
that’s where fear breeds if we choose
not to face our fears we basically
choose to stay trapped in a state of
uncertainty to make critical life
decisions with limited information I
deeply believe that the only way forward
is to take that leap of faith like Vogue
did we have to engage with each other
until we pull the sheets off of our head
and get to know what’s really out there
we can’t even start to feel safe and
secure so I was recently exploring this
issue in the state of Kansas which is
right in the middle of the United States
we call this region the heartland Kansas
is predominantly white Christian rural
and politically conservative tight-knit
friendly communities where most people
know each other feel safe and have job
security so navigating change in the
form of new residents from countries and
cultures that appear different is
challenging we were talking through this
at the local library and we
intentionally included immigrants in the
conversation at the end of the evening a
white woman admitted that this is
difficult and she wished she could meet
someone Muslim to get to know them in
person and better understand the culture
dark-skinned women from India and the
Philippines offered to host a dinner
party both bragging to the great cooks
by the end of the night people are
laughing together and the conversation
was so good that everybody went to the
local bar when the library closed as I
travel around the United States in the
world I find the same thing everywhere
when we shift from approaching people as
a threat or a liability to the
possibility that everybody has something
valuable to contribute when we seek the
best in people instead of expecting the
worst something magic happens that’s the
moment they cease to be other and that’s
where hope is born everyone has a light
inside
just waiting to be discovered more than
charity or sympathy people want the
opportunity to shine their light and it
only takes a spark to light the darkness
that spark could be you or you might be
surprised you might be the one sparked
you know when I went to law school I
thought of this as humanitarian work
those people need help and I’ll feel
good about myself if I can give them
hope but over the years I’ve learned
that migrants and refugees are neither
helpless nor hopeless hope is the spark
that drives people forward and hope is
the gift that my clients give to me on a
daily basis can you imagine being
constantly surrounded by
solutions-oriented people working hard
to create a better life that’s the kind
of environment that we cultivate when we
invite people to shine their light and
that kind of energy is contagious
inspired people inspired people so the
critical questions are how do you want
to feel and what kind of environment do
you want to cultivate that’s the big
picture the city of Clarkston Georgia is
an example of possibility the community
has consciously decided to welcome
migrants and refugees and now this
historically white town is the most
multicultural square mile in the whole
United States they’ve struggled with
changing demographics change is never
easy but the local residents say that
they feel more safe and secure and
happier when they embrace their new
neighbors sharing food and exploring the
world through their own communities
these pictures are from their annual
culture festival and fun run which I had
the opportunity to experience a few
weeks ago white and black church
ministries volunteering together with
veiled Somali and Syrian refugees is not
what you expect to find in the
politically conservative American South
but the people of Clarkston are happy to
shatter the stereotypes
they choose to cultivate an environment
where everyone can win so with so much
change and uncertainty in the world
today we can’t afford to lose sight of
the big picture we all want to feel safe
and secure to be happy and to live in
communities where everyone can thrive I
invite you to shine your light and
please let’s all seek to build community
instead of building walls thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music] you