Episode 7: Is the US Congress Willfully Depriving Immigrants from a Path to Citizenship?

In this podcast episode, Luc Kuanzambi delivers a powerful speech to a gathering in Portland, Maine, advocating for the updating of the Immigration Registry Act of 1929. Luc highlights the plight of immigrants who often live in silence, unseen and unheard, as they navigate the complexities of the American immigration system. He emphasizes that many immigrants feel like they don’t belong in their birth countries and have come to the U.S. seeking a place where they can truly belong. 

Luc speaks about the long, painful waits many immigrants endure, some lasting decades, without proper recognition or legal status, which he likens to living in an "open-air prison." He critiques both political parties for their inaction on immigration reform and expresses hope for Bill S 2606, introduced by a Californian senator, as a potential pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrants.

Throughout the speech, Luc stresses that immigrants are not just numbers or statistics but human beings deserving of full recognition and belonging in the U.S. He calls for intentional action and a renewed commitment to justice and humanity, urging lawmakers and the American public to support meaningful immigration reform. The speech concludes with a heartfelt appeal for the chance to finally be recognized as "fellow Americans."

Transcript

Ad Bridger: 0:01

This episode is brought to you by Xenos Communications Consulting, LLC, the company that facilitates your engagements with immigrant audiences. Stay tuned.

0:16

I don't know if I can see. Oh, yeah. The Honorable Abdi. And, uh, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, my friends, my fellow immigrants, and my American friends. Tonight is momentous for us as immigrants, because we're doing something unusual. As you know, immigrants tend to remain recluded in silence. We are creatures of the darkness, not as demons. But because we're more comfortable keeping for ourselves our opinions, almost never speaking our minds, our opinions are almost never welcome in a public place. Because from the moment you start speaking, you're reminded about where you came from. But where we came from is why we're here. It's because we did not feel like we belonged where we were born. And we've come to a place where there's a hope for us to belong. And this is the reason why we're standing here tonight. We have a smorgasbord of stories, personal stories, individual heartbreaking journeys, and also collective journeys of building an identity as a community. And these things are happening simultaneously, but it's not catching anyone's eye because immigrants tend to remain in the silence. Tonight, we have stepped out of the darkness. We're coming to the light, and we're coming to tell the people in Maine, and for those who have a chance to listen to us, maybe through social media, or even those who will be watching us from Washington, D. C., from the comfort of the American Congress, whenever they have a chance to see a piece of these presentations that we're making right now, we're trying to tell you right now that we have come here with full fledged humanity. We are not just immigrants. We are not just numbers. We are not just aggregates. We are your fellow human beings, and we haven't had a chance, for the most part, to really express that because we were not comfortable in the silence, but we remained in the silence because it seemed to be the right thing to do until now. And now I want to tell you something pretty funny. Immigrants have come to know almost a lot more than a regular American about the American immigration system. We have become experts. We've learned about, provisions of the law. We've come to learn about services. We've come to learn about loopholes, as you'll hear it sometimes in the news. We've also come to learn about ways we can improve things and make sure that people finally come to light and have the fullest extent of their humanity restored to them. This is why we're here, to talk to you about two bills of law. Not that we have learned everything that's judicial that relates to these bills of law, but from what we've gathered from it, it is a token of hope for millions of individuals in this country. And hundreds and thousands of families and countless number of those who have waited obediently abiding by the system and waiting for them to be told that finally you can feel comfortable, you can feel like you're anchored into this community, you belong here. Because right now, like for some of us, it's been a seven years wait. In the darkness. For other people, it's been 10 years. Other people still, it's been 15 years. Other people have been here for 20 years, 25 years, without ever getting an appointment with the immigration services. All they get to do is get access to a work permit that only allows them to scrap the bottoms. And that's heart wrenching. And that's what we want to highlight right now. We want to talk about intentionality. We believe where there is a will, there is a way. Where there's a will, there's a way. Immigrants are not experts when it comes to, uh, uh, immigration law, in reality, because we don't know all the contours of the legislation of this country. But what we've come to find out is that the bill of law that was submitted last summer by a Californian senator, uh, Bill S 2606, represents a token of hope for millions of us. Why? Because it could be the touted path to citizenship that a lot of people have been talking about in the future. A lot of times we hear about the need for both sides of the political spectrum to come together and try to devise a new path to citizenship for immigrants, but the reality is The reality is that this path has been here since 1929. And the last time it was implemented was in 1986 when Ronald Reagan was still president. I can't remember how old I was, but I was still a little boy. And I'm a 43 year old man standing in front of you right now. And nothing has been done in order to allow millions and millions of individuals to have access to the fullest extent of humanity. Why? Because it is not politically convenient. And both parties are to blame. I'm not here trying to play the blame game. But the reality is, when the Republicans had a chance to do something about it, they did nothing. And when the Democrats had a chance to do something about it, they did nothing. And today, immigrants have decided that enough is enough. We're not trying to set ultimatums here. We're not trying to ruin anything, to break anything, to set anything alit[ablaze]. We are just here standing up from the height of our humanity. and remind you about the fact that we are still forgotten. We're still in the limbo. And what the limbo means for a lot of us, it's limitations. It feels like living in an open air prison. It feels like there are places you are not allowed to go. If that's not segregation, what is it? We are living institutionalized segregation, and this can end with just one bill of law, S 2606. And that's what we are not demanding for, but we are politely asking for. I mean, I could go on and on. But the truth is, for the many who cannot afford a few words in English, their heartbeat echoes the same hope than mine right now. Their hope is that finally we can have a path to citizenship. Finally we can belong. Finally we can call you'My fellow Americans.' Thank you!

@Nathy: 6:49

Have you ever craved a thought provoking podcast that tackles today's issues with an even hand? Look no further than"Luc's 2 Cents," a podcast created, produced, and published entirely by Luc and his independent venture, Xenos Communications Consulting, LLC. Luc, an immigrant with a passion for fostering understanding, has poured his heart and limited resources into developing this pilot season. Luc's 2 Cents strives to bridge the divides of today's political landscape. Luc believes in open discussions that don't shy away from complexity and welcomes listeners from all walks of life. To ensure ideological neutrality, Luc refuses to compromise his vision by accepting funding that might influence the show's content. However, the well financing these pilot episodes is running dry. If you believe in the power of civil discourse and want to see Luc's 2 Cents continue, reach out to Luc on X, formerly known as Twitter, at Luc's 2 Cents. Your support will directly enable Luc to keep this important platform alive and foster productive dialogue across the spectrum. Let's bridge the gap together, two cents at a time.

@Joe Outro: 7:55

This episode was brought to you by Xenos Communications Consulting, LLC, the company that facilitates your engagements with immigrant audiences. Till next time.