By Freddy Saavedra, AZ Central
As an Army staff sergeant, I served the United States around the world — from Iraq to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Everywhere I’ve been, I have shared my pride in our great nation, and I have seen firsthand the desire of people who aspire to come here.
Col. Viet Xuan Luong of Fort Hood, Texas, became the first Vietnamese-American in U.S. history to be promoted to brigadier general. (Ha Giang/Nguoi Viet)
One thing that makes me most proud is our tradition of attracting the brightest, most courageous talent in the world. Our nation’s immigrant heritage is just as crucial for our military, which helps ensure our competitiveness and national security.
In a recent example of our military’s diversity, this month Col. Viet Xuan Luong of Fort Hood, Texas, became the first Vietnamese-American in U.S. history to be promoted to brigadier general. His family left Vietnam as political refugees during the fall of Saigon in 1975. His promotion marks a proud moment for the Vietnamese-American community, our military and our nation.
Throughout our history, immigrants have been crucial role to our military and national security. Immigrants proudly defend our country through their hard work and their diverse, specialized skills that our nation desperately needs.
As the rhetoric surrounding immigration becomes uglier, we must decide who we are as a nation. We cannot allow this issue to become so politicized that we forget the people behind it.
There is no question we need to prioritize secure borders and safe communities. But we also need to provide the opportunity for more aspiring Americans to join our military and earn their citizenship by defending the country they call home. Brave men and women willing to defend the United States in combat should be able to wear our flag on their uniforms in battle — and earn citizenship in the process.
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