Boston Mayor Marty Walsh faced questions Wednesday from a group of schoolchildren, anxious about what they’ve been hearing recently about immigrant families like their own.
Walsh visited Mario Umana Academy, named for a state lawmaker and judge who was the son of immigrants who didn’t speak English. The name is a fitting tribute in this East Boston school where last year, nearly 80 percent of students spoke English as a second language. The mayor was there to announce a federal grant that will support after-school programs focusing on science, technology, engineering and math.
The mayor stopped by a classroom where students were playing a video game using bananas and other fruit they had wired to work as controllers.
“I don’t know if anyone has any questions for me?” he asked the students. Eighth grader Isaac Hernandez, whose family is from El Salvador, raised his hand.
“How can the city provide immigration help?” Hernandez asked. It’s a question on the minds of a lot of Salvadoran families these days, as the Trump administration has decided to end temporary protected status for Salvadorans in the U.S. — including an estimated 6,000 in Massachusetts.
“We have an office called the Office of Immigrant Advancement, which is an office [where] we help people that are here in this country ... we let them know their rights," Walsh said."
Walsh headed into another room, where about 100 students sat cross-legged on the floor, waiting patiently for speeches about the new grant. Those speeches were more targeted at the press in the room. But then, the mayor asked the students where they’re from.
"El Salvador," one called out. "Colombia." "Puerto Rico."
“Where else? What other countries did I miss?" Walsh asked. "Guatemala? Perfect. Nicaragua. Honduras.”
Again, he opened the floor for questions. One after another, the students revealed that even at this young age, there’s anxiety about immigration these days.
"What do you think about the people who don’t like immigrants?" one boy asked.
“I think people have gotten too mean in this country lately, and it starts at the very top," Walsh answered. "And I think that there's a way that we shouldn't be so mean with immigrants.”
Walsh told the students mean attitudes come from people who don’t understand who immigrants really are.
“But I think there's more — in this country, there are far more people that support immigrants than not,” Walsh said. Another student spoke so softly that a teacher repeated his question: “Do you agree with some of the things the president is doing on immigration?"
“I don’t agree with anything the president is doing on immigration,” Walsh replied. He criticized President Trump for leaving it to Congress to act on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, and on Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans and others. Like them, he told the students, he’s the child of immigrants, too. That seemed to resonate with them.
