Harvard President: We Limit Immigration "At Our Peril"

Miles J. Herszenhorn, Claire Yuan, Harvard Crimson, Apr. 17, 2023

“We limit immigration, I believe, at our peril,” Bacow said. “Why? Because first of all, immigration furthers our national interest, but perhaps even more importantly, immigration defines our national identity.” Bacow pointed to his own identity as the son of Jewish refugees who arrived in the U.S. without demonstrable skills, resources, or fluency in English, “as living proof that what we do — that education — has the capacity to transform lives.” “Where else can you go literally in one generation from off the boat with nothing — my mother’s 20 years old when she gets here, one suitcase — to grow up and have the kind of life and opportunity that I have enjoyed?” Bacow added. “Immigration made my life possible.”