Adam Strom, executive director of Re-Imagining Migration, dismantled a number of myths about immigration for an audience of 100 students, staff, and faculty on Wednesday, March 12. Strom’s talk, “Understanding Immigration: Debunking Myths, Fighting Misinformation, and Tackling Xenophobia,” was the second event in the Office of Academic Affairs’ Open Discourse Series in honor of Worcester State University’s 150th Anniversary.
“Immigration has always happened,” Strom said, pointing out that some of the earliest evidence we have of human activity is footprints, and that, today, 26 percent of students in the United States are immigrants, a number that is similar in France, the Netherlands, Germany, and other European countries. Strom then proceeded, point by point, through what he described as various misconceptions about immigration.
The United States is more than a country of immigrants. It was made up of Indigenous peoples, colonial settlers, indentured servants, and enslaved peoples, and the country’s history includes westward expansion, ethnic cleansing, changing borders, and forced migration, he said.
Showing a map of North America prior to the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Strom pointed out that Mexico’s territory at that time extended into present-day Colorado and included all of what is now California. Many Americans of Mexican descent, he said, did not immigrate to the United States. Rather, the border shifted south of where they lived.
Some other common myths about immigration, Strom said, are that immigrants commit more crime, are bad for the economy, won’t fit in, and bring disease. While these ideas are indeed myths, Strom said, “this stuff has a real impact on immigrants and Americans.”
He cited statistics showing that, in the United States, immigrants commit 37 percent less crime than non-immigrants, create more jobs, learn English quickly, and are generally healthier than Americans. Additionally, while the number of immigrants has increased over time, the percentage of immigrants has remained steady for much of U.S. history, he said.
Strom’s talk was informed by his many years in the field. He co-founded Re-Imagining Migration, an organization dedicated to advancing the education and well-being of immigrant youth and building and sustaining inclusive communities. Previously, he led the content development team at the organization Facing History and Ourselves.
Strom emphasized the importance of people coming together. “In the U.S., we don’t have enough interaction to know each other,” he said. “We need cheap things to do that bring people together,” like festivals and community-wide events.
In his introduction, Associate Provost Henry Theriault described Strom as “someone who has looked at society again and again and done the right thing. We’re fortunate to have him share his ideas.” Addressing the audience, composed mostly of students, he said, “You’re in a moment of history that’s going to define us.”
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