I’ve never understood why my last name, Corkrean, is spelled the way it is. Shouldn’t it be spelled Corcoran?
Last week, I found an answer inside a dusty book buried away in my parent’s storage closet.
At the height of the Irish potato famine, my 4x great grandfather, Matthew Corcoran, was a stable boy on the 4000 acre estate of Susan Murtaugh’s family. Eventually the pair fell in love and decided to marry, despite objections from Suan’s parents. Subsequently, they faced the stark reality of being fired and disowned. With nowhere to turn, they fled to America.
At the gates of Ellis Island , either because of illiteracy or a thick Irish brogue, my family name transformed from Corcoran to Corkrean.
Susan and Mathew went on to live an idyllic life in the hills of West Virginia. Today, nearly 1,000 descendants can trace their roots to Susan and Matthew.
I’ve always been empathetic to newcomers to America, my recent genealogical discovery has boosted my belief that Americans should welcome those seeking to contribute to America’s success. I am not alone, nearly all first and second generation Americans share a similar sentiment and this group is quickly growing. Given current immigration trends and birth rates, virtually all (93%) of the growth of the nation’s working-age population between now and 2050 will be accounted for by immigrants and their U.S.-born children.
As the demographics of our country shift, the Republican party must embrace immigrants as a solution, not a problem. Failure to do so, will alienate a critical part of the electorate.
Donald Trump’s harsh immigration rhetoric not only alienates voters with immigrant connections, it clashes with views held by the majority of Americans. For example, the Trump administration has lowered the refugee admittance cap to the lowest numbers in history, despite 73% of Americans stating that it is important to take in refugees fleeing war and violence.
The Republican’s harsh policy on immigration isn’t isolated to the Oval Office. In 2018, a coalition of ten Republican governors sued to end DACA. Despite a September 2017 poll that indicated 86% of Americans support a right to residency for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children. The Republicans will need meaningful change from governors and legislators across state and federal governments, not just Trump, to achieve meaningful change and maintain relevance.
It can’t be ignored that Republicans inherit electoral benefits from their protectionist immigration policy. The blue collar working class base is energized by protectionist imigration rhetoric. However, even if this base population is growing, it’s growth is being outpaced by first and second generation immigrant population growth. In battleground states, it would be wise of the Republican’s to pay attention to a specific growing group, Hispanics.
In the last electoral cycle, exit polls indicated that Trump received only 30% of the Hispanic vote. This is all but certain to shrink in the upcoming election. The combination of a growing Hispanic population and an abysmal share of the Hispanic vote create a Party killing electoral college scenario in Texas, where Hispanics could be the plurality as soon as 2022.
The Republicans aren’t doomed, yet. If they hope to stay competitive on a national scale they must look to their past for compassionate immigration rhetoric. Regan said, “Rather than talking about putting up a fence, why don’t we work out some recognition of our mutual problems?”. A far cry from, “We’re going to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it!”. George W. Bush, a politician with a local view on border issues proposed a law that would make it easier for border workers from Mexico to transit back and forth.
It’s certain that Republican senators will not be singing Kumbaya at the border anytime soon, and they don’t have to. They must, however, implement common sense immigration policy that boosts America’s economy, gives hard working families a chance at a better life, and curries favor among Hispanics. Obama was certainly no softy on immigration, In the first three years of Obama’s presidency, he deported more people than Trump did, yet Obama enjoyed high levels of Hispanic support.
It’s clear that Trump will not tone down his rhetoric if re-elected. Republicans in congress and in party headquarters must take it upon themselves, regardless of the election results, to change their tone from callous to compassion.
When Matthew and Susan Corkrean landed on American soil, they didn’t know their legacy would include soldiers, entrepreneurs, doctors and farmers, but today, we know that hard working immigrants will produce benefits to America. Republicans must act accordingly.
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