Immigration has been a very controversial topic in the past few years; whether it’s against or pro-immigration, the topic has been talked about at least once by everyone. Immigration plays a very important role for many families in Anaheim; therefore, Anaheim High school, a school consisting of immigrant students and staff, has decided to dedicate a week to unite our school and educate our students on different immigration stories.

It’s important to know that immigrants do NOT only migrate from Mexico; for example, Kathleen Shamrell, a Biology teacher at Anaheim High School, told Anaheim Exclusivo her experience as a second-generation Euro-American. Kathleen Shamrell’s grandparents immigrated from Europe in the 1920’s- her paternal grandpa from England and her maternal grandparents from Germany. In all three cases, her grandparents immigrated for a better life and for the opportunities the United States had to offer.

Immigrating to a new country where you don’t know anyone nor are you familiar with the culture can prove to be externally difficult. Fortunately for Mrs. Shamrell’s grandparents, they were able to adapt to their new lifestyle; however, due to fear of the war, her grandparents lost some of their own cultures. “My grandma was a housekeeper and cook for a wealthy family back east. When the stock market crashed in 1929, she lost her job. She married my grandpa and they came to California. He got a job in a factory that made parts for military ships. When my mom was born, during World War 2, she grew up speaking only English. They never spoke German because they were afraid of discrimination because Germany was the enemy. It’s sad because my mom never learned to speak her parents’ first language and they eventually forgot a lot of German too. They didn’t acknowledge their home country at all for fear of what people might say. But their last name was distinctly German and my mom got teased a lot as a kid. It was easier for my other grandpa because he came here when he was younger and because he was from England, he already spoke the language. There was no discrimination for his family.”

In the past few years, the United States has faced an anti-immigration wave. Many citizens have changed their opinions regarding immigration and have forgotten their own origins.

A high majority of Americans in the United States are originally from different countries, yet they don’t acknowledge their ancestors. Mrs. Shamrell’s thoughts on the anti-immigration taking place in the U.S., “ I hear some people say, ‘When my ancestors immigrated here they did it the right way, the legal way.’  But if your family came from Europe, you couldn’t walk into the US. They only had one choice. The bottom line is that all immigrants want to come here because they see it as a better opportunity for their family and their future. Unless you are 100% Native American, your ancestors came from somewhere else. I wish more people thought of that first and were more sympathetic and kind.”