by John Bossange
In December of 2023, Mr. Trump told an audience in New Hampshire that immigrants “were poisoning the blood of our country.” He then stated that, “they were coming from Africa, Asia, from all over the world.” I continue to wonder what he means by the “blood of our country,” given that virtually everyone’s family either migrated or immigrated from somewhere to get to America.
When was the idea of “blood of our country” established and by whom? The idea is a myth. Need proof? Just ask presidential candidate Donald Trump and candidate JD Vance. They know this idea is a myth and a lie. After all, they both married immigrants and now have immigrant children. Let’s look at the facts.
Mr. Trump’s third wife is from Slovenia, which used to be Yugoslavia. Like most Slovenians, her heritage is a part of the south Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia. I’m sure Mrs. Trump is proud of her heritage, as she should be. But the question for Mr. Trump is what about his most recent son? Like his mom, I’m sure this son is a fine person, but does he carry “poison in his blood” just because his mom was an immigrant from a Slavic nation?
Even Mr. Trump’s heritage is from another country. His father was the son of German immigrants, while his mother emigrated from Scotland. Does that heritage of immigrants make Mr. Trump any less American? Is there “poison” in his blood? The answer is obvious. No. Just like his third wife and their son, Mr. Trump is an American citizen regardless of his ancestral history and any notion of “mixed blood.”
We can see the same situation with his vice presidential candidate. JD Vance, who comes from Scots-Irish heritage and married the daughter of immigrants from India. I’m sure both JD and his wife are proud of their ethnic heritage and in his wife’s case, her race and religious background. Again, is there any “poison” in the “mixed blood” of their three children, just because of their mixed race ancestral Indian background? Again, the answer is, of course not.
All our roots are scattered across the globe, with a mixture of ethnic and often racial or religious characteristics. It does not matter where we came from or when we arrived. There is no such thing as getting here first and telling others that you are now the pure blood of the nation. Further, there is no measure of unacceptable immigration based on one’s ethnicity, race or religion. Slavic, German, Scots-Irish, and Indian are all a part of our American blood.
As our nation continues to grow, Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance need to be told that there will never be any poison in our collective blood. Immigration is the 245-year-old heritage and strength of America. Yes, immigrants need to be legal and the borders controlled, but it cannot be exclusionary based on one’s race, religion, or national origin just because someone decides that a specific heritage will “poison” American blood.
It’s also far past time for both MAGA Party candidates to end their divisive, fear-mongering comments about selected immigrants, especially those of color from different countries and ethnic backgrounds. Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance need to look into a mirror, be reminded of their own family’s heritage, and understand what it has always meant to be an American. You can bet their children would be most appreciative.
The author is a retired middle school principal and resident of South Burlington.