By Our Sundays Visitor Publishing
As the historic debate on immigration reform moves from the U.S. Senate to the House of Representatives, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles – an immigrant himself — brings his timely and practical perspective to the forefront in Immigration and the Next America: Renewing the Soul of Our Nation (Our Sunday Visitor, 2013).
“Immigration is about more than immigration,” states Archbishop Gomez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico and a naturalized American citizen. “It’s about our national identity and destiny.” In his book, Gomez brings forward questions that he believes are inseparable from the national debate. What is America? What does it mean to be an American? Where are we headed as a country? What should the next America look like?
Archbishop Gomez believes it is more urgent than ever to create a path to citizenship and to prevent the explosive growth of an “underclass society” of immigrants who have no rights. He also proposes a balanced approach including a visa program and a sensible method of border protection that respects the human dignity of all persons.
“I have come to the conclusion that immigration reform offers us a special moment as a nation,” stated Archbishop Gomez. “We have a chance to create a path to welcome millions of new Americans who would share our national ideals, beliefs, and values.”
Currently serving as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration and a papal appointee to the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, the archbishop has been writing and speaking about immigration for 20 years. He calls the debate, “a human rights test of our generation,” and a historical moment that will define America.
“America’s story is unique and exceptional among the nations of history,” states Gomez. “Our identity is spiritual. Americans are committed to a dream, to a vision of a world where men and women live in freedom, dignity, and equality.”
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