“Give me your tired, your poor,/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,/ The wretched refuse of your teeming shore./ Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,/ I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” – Statue of Liberty ­— Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.

With over 180 colleges participating, including Clemson, the annual I Stand With Immigrants (ISWI) Day of Action campaign encourages campuses to celebrate and support students who have personal ties to immigration or immigrants. This campaign is designed to bring awareness to the cultural and educational impact immigrants bring to communities that may not appreciate the hard work and stories following families who leave their entire lives behind for new opportunities. Patrick Mispireta, former president and current alumni relations representative of Clemson’s chapter of the largest Latin fraternity in the nation, and his Latin brothers work to raise awareness of ISWI and the diverse heritages of students on campus. On ISWI Day of Action, Oct. 22, Mispireta hopes to raise awareness and advocate for the support of the immigrant community on campus. In addition, both the Latin fraternity Lambda Theta Phi and the representatives of ISWI want to focus on undocumented students and their stories, as November brings the Supreme Court’s review of DACA cases that could effect multiple students and their families. 

At face value, Clemson is not an incredibly diverse school. When walking along library bridge or squeezing past a tour group that consumes the entire sidewalk, it is easy to notice the lack of representation at first glance. However, Clemson is actually home to a large group of people with interesting, diverse cultural backgrounds. Recognizing this, Lambda Theta Phi is not exclusive to Latin students but also highlights Hispanic, Indian and African American heritage through various events around campus, including the ISWI tabling that will occur on Oct. 22. Born in Japan, Mispireta is an immigrant himself and works to shed light on the lives of immigrants on and off campus. Since his mother is Peruvian, Mispireta has been considered an immigrant in both Asia and America. His first hand account serves as a voice for other immigrant students who have had similar experiences.

“The transition from high school to Clemson was rough, as I have never been to a predominantly white institution,” Mispireta said. “The high school I attended was mostly black and brown, but at Clemson I did not immediately feel like I belonged; it seemed like I needed to look for miles to find someone that looked like me. However, Clemson is home to people that are very proud of their culture once you can find them in the crowd. The students here do not try to hide their backgrounds to fit in but celebrate them and each other instead. I slowly found my community and my place at Clemson, largely due to the Latino community.” 

Mispireta discusses why he, and even those who may not have personal connections, should stand with immigrants despite the political climate; immigrants work twice as hard to find their footing in the land of the free.

“I have met hardworking immigrants who work over 12 hours to provide for their families back home,” Mispireta beings. “Immigrants with college degrees from their native residences that translate to entry level positions here. Immigrants with college degrees who struggle to find someone that is open to hiring them. Immigrants that yearn for higher education but are met with a lack of financial aid. Immigrants that dream of a better life than the generation before them had. Immigrants that dream of providing a better life to the generation after them. Immigrants that want to contribute to the US but face resistance by the home of the brave. I have met these immigrants. They are the epitome of bravery. They deserve support.” Mispireta continues to acknowledge the position immigrants are in and urges others to do the same. He mentions that, “Immigrants are important strands of Americas DNA. In fact, French and British immigrants built America. DACA students are kids who were brought by their parents to an unknown land for the mere chance at a better life, just as those in 1607 came over for the chance at a better life. When the DACA children were young, they had no control over where they were brought. They have truly been in the United States their entire lives. In their eyes, this place is as much of a home to them as it is to people that were born here. They went to middle school here, attended high school football games here, danced at prom here, had their first kiss here and received their first college acceptance letter here. However, they are constantly reminded that, in the place they call home, they are considered outsiders and ‘aliens.’ It’s crazy to think that a child that’s lived here their entire life would have to pay for out-of-state tuition and are ineligible for many forms of financial aid in the place they consider their home, simply because their parents wanted a better life for them.” Despite the age-old relationship between immigrants and the nation that houses Clemson, their position in the US is still unclear to many. Immigrants simply want to build a better life, and they work incredibly hard to do so. Mispireta is looking to continue this conversation during ISWI Day of Action and by sharing his story. 

If you are unable to attend any physical ISWI events, you can still support your fellow students by using the #IStandWithImmigrants hashtag, message videos and photos to @IAmAnImmigrant and listen to the stories and experiences of immigrants.