Now that he is no longer president, George W. Bush writes books. In his most recent one, called Out of Many, he comments that instead of being seen as a bothersome burden, immigrants should be embraced by the US and taken as a “sign of a confident and successful nation.”

The article from Apple News links the first bit of his book, which you can read here.

The book outlines the statements of 43 immigrants while also talking about Bush’s life experiences with the topic. It shifts from the past, when he was younger, into 2020, and how things have changed in the US since Bush’s term.

In the final paragraph of the linked excerpt, Bush puts it very simply that immigration can be seen as the US’s greatest strength, “our unique ability to absorb people from different backgrounds into one nation under God.”

“What does this mean, why does it matter?”

Well, for decades now, immigration has been a touchy subject. It’s something you probably try not to bring up at the dinner table to avoid family fights. If you’re reading this, chances are you know an immigrant (that is, if you yourself aren’t one or you’re not related to one). As people living in Miami, immigration is an area of conversation that brings a lot of passion out of many people. It is heartbreaking to see people living in our same country reject people who are in great need, who need a new home and a refuge from whatever us going on in their home.

Many politicians and presidents in the past have condemned immigration and immigrants themselves as a problem that needs to be fixed, and a burden to this country. Seeing former president Bush say that that is not the case, that it is in fact part of America’s history and lifeblood is beyond inspiring and very heartening, to say it shortly. Stating this shows that America and its politicians might be on the cusp of a change of heart that could possibly bring together the people in the future,

I was able to ask a few juniors at ILS for their thoughts on this comment were, as people who know immigrants and are familiar with it and the issues surrounding it.

Katrina Díaz-Balart told me that “He understands that some people in his party can be anti immigration, so he is trying to remedy that… in seeing someone (they, a member of that party) look up to urging peace and unity, it might inspire them to feel the same.”

Mia Castellon also spoke to me, adding that what Bush wrote about will have a positive impact overall, because “it enforces the notion that immigration is not a burden to Americans.”

Finally, Maria Meyer added that what Bush said was “very responsible of him (because) he has a lot of influence.”

She concluded, saying that “immigration shouldn’t be a political party issue, it’s something the whole country should be United on. Every American should support individuals trying to find a better life in the US.”

Bush’s writing was very straightforward and eloquent. Again, if you want to read the full excerpt, you can do so by clicking the link at the beginning of the article. Overall, this can certainly be seen as a step in the right direction.