Jorge Ramos recently gave a speech at Harvard University’s Goldsmith Awards Ceremony. His speech was about being an immigrant and a journalist during President Trump’s presidency. Ramos started and ended his speech directed at Donald Trump and stated that he was not Trump’s enemy, but that he did not want to be his friend. He summarized his reason for immigrating to the Unites States and what he experienced when he arrived in the United States that many other immigrants share with him. Ramos explained that his birth country of Mexico could not provide him the opportunities that he needed, which in his case was the freedom of the press, and that essentially pushed him out of Mexico.
Ramos went on to explain that even though there is occasionally some discrimination and racism in the United States, all that was always countered by the American belief that “all men are created equal.” As an immigrant himself, Ramos whole heartedly defended immigrants and the assurance that the majority of immigrants are genuinely good people that are just looking to work hard to give their families and themselves a better life. Ramos highlighted what immigrants provide to the United States and stated:
Immigrants pay taxes, they create jobs, they are loyal consumers, they do the jobs that nobody else wants to do, they contribute to the Social Security fund (and then don’t collect because they can’t); they build our homes, harvest our food and babysit our children. And, contrary to what Trump is suggesting, immigrants are not taking jobs away from Americans.
Jorge Ramos brought up the time that Trump had him escorted out by a bodyguard during a news conference when all Ramos was doing was his job as a journalist. Ramos reminded us that the role of the media is to keep the government honest by reporting what is factual and sometimes taking a stand on issues. Journalists are supposed to be on the opposite side of power to balance things out. Ramos perfectly laid out why he was neither friend nor foe to Trump, which is because journalists need to be able to express their freedom of the press.
