Dick Durbin Tells His Immigration Story: My Mother ‘Was the First DREAMer in My Family... That’s America’s Story’

DURBIN I come to ░░░░░░░░ with some prejudice My ░░░░░░░░ was an immigrant to ░░░░░░░░ country She was brought ░░░░░░░░ at the age of ░░░░░░░░ She was the first ░░░░░░░░ in my family and ░░░░░░░░ was brought here from ░░░░░░░░ where she was born ░░░░░░░░ mother brought her to ░░░░░░░░ country didn t speak ░░░░░░░░ but brought her three ░░░░░░░░ here in the hopes ░░░░░░░░ they could find an ░░░░░░░░ they couldn t find ░░░░░░░░ in Lithuania For them ░░░░░░░░ land of opportunity was ░░░░░░░░ city called East St ░░░░░░░░ Illinois which is where ░░░░░░░░ was born and I ░░░░░░░░ up It offered immigrants ░░░░░░░░ lot of tough jobs ░░░░░░░░ opportunities to maybe create ░░░░░░░░ better life for their ░░░░░░░░ And when it came ░░░░░░░░ this kid my mom ░░░░░░░░ her family gave me ░░░░░░░░ chance to serve in ░░░░░░░░ United States Senate That ░░░░░░░░ my story That s ░░░░░░░░ family s story But ░░░░░░░░ s America s story ░░░░░░░░ and again that s ░░░░░░░░ s story My grandfather ░░░░░░░░ t come here with ░░░░░░░░ extraordinary skills He came ░░░░░░░░ with a strong back ░░░░░░░░ a determination to work ░░░░░░░░ feed his family And ░░░░░░░░ did it My grandmother ░░░░░░░░ same That s the ░░░░░░░░ of this country Now ░░░░░░░░ re going to debate ░░░░░░░░ week in the United ░░░░░░░░ Senate whether it will ░░░░░░░░ to be the story ░░░░░░░░ this country Some will ░░░░░░░░ we ve had enough ░░░░░░░░ these immigrants we don ░░░░░░░░ need any more of ░░░░░░░░ And others I hope ░░░░░░░░ realize that we have ░░░░░░░░ opportunity here An opportunity ░░░░░░░░ not only allow people ░░░░░░░░ come to this country ░░░░░░░░ part of this country ░░░░░░░░ future to create the ░░░░░░░░ of diversity which makes ░░░░░░░░ unique in the world ░░░░░░░░ diversity of immigration I ░░░░░░░░ we can come up ░░░░░░░░ a reasonable answer to ░░░░░░░░ There will be differences ░░░░░░░░ opinion strongly held beliefs ░░░░░░░░ one side or the ░░░░░░░░