---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always believed that immigration is…"
description: "\"I've always believed that immigration is really about who we are as a country and what we're willing to stand up for.\" — Pramila Jayapal"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/pramila-jayapal-5245_country_i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is_196829.jpg"
---

#  I've always believed that immigration is really about who…

![“I've always believed that immigration is really about who we are as a country and what we're willing to stand up for.” quote by Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/pramila-jayapal-5245_country_i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is_196829.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/pramila-jayapal-5245_country_i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is_196829.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/pramila-jayapal-5245_country_i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is_196829.jpg)

> “I've always believed that immigration is really about who we are as a country and what we're willing to stand up for.”

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Frames immigration as a reflection of national identity and moral stance, urging collective commitment to inclusive values.

**In simple terms:** Immigration shows who we are and what we defend.

Key Takeaway

Stand for inclusive national values.

Themes

identity immigration values politics

Mood

inspirational determined

Type

political motivational

When to use this quote

- policy debates
- community organizing
- education curricula
- media commentary

Key Concepts

nationalism human rights civic duty

Questions to Reflect On

- What does inclusion mean in practice?
- How do we address security concerns while staying inclusive?

A Different Perspective

Risk of oversimplifying complex economic impacts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/)

## Related quotes

> [Immigration is about more than just who comes here and who is allowed to stay. It is about who we are as a country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/immigration-is-about-more-than-just-who-comes-here-and-who-is-allowed/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [If I could, I'd go city by city, county by county, town by town, and talk to people to explain to them what immigration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-vargas/if-i-could-i-d-go-city-by-city-county-by-county-town-by-town-and-talk/)

[Jose Antonio Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-vargas/)

> [What immigration really does is redistribute wealth away from workers toward employers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-j-borjas/what-immigration-really-does-is-redistribute-wealth-away-from-workers/)

George J. Borjas

> [The bedrock of this country are immigration and, really, a great separation between church and state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-khan/the-bedrock-of-this-country-are-immigration-and-really-a-great/)

[Shahid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-khan/)

> [If Republicans are going in the wrong direction, I am still willing to stand up against them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-scalise/if-republicans-are-going-in-the-wrong-direction-i-am-still-willing-to/)

[Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/)

> [You have to be willing to stand up for what you believe in, and the rule of law is one of those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kalanick/you-have-to-be-willing-to-stand-up-for-what-you-believe-in-and-the/)

[Travis Kalanick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kalanick/)

> [We need leaders who are willing to stand up, drive the debate, and commit our fellow citizens to action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-moulton/we-need-leaders-who-are-willing-to-stand-up-drive-the-debate-and/)

[Seth Moulton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-moulton/)

> [I've always been very direct and have told the truth and have been very willing to stand up and speak out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bev-perdue/i-ve-always-been-very-direct-and-have-told-the-truth-and-have-been/)

[Bev Perdue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bev-perdue/)

> [If you make - not have - $1 million a year, should you not participate in the sense of community of our country? I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/if-you-make-not-have-1-million-a-year-should-you-not-participate-in/)

[Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/)

> [I'm just so honored I got the chance to represent our country. I was always willing to put in the work, the sacrifice, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-alvarez/i-m-just-so-honored-i-got-the-chance-to-represent-our-country-i-was/)

[Eddy Alvarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-alvarez/)

> [Love God as a soldier loves his country, Be willing to live, fight and die for your foundation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carniel-dunlop/love-god-as-a-soldier-loves-his-country-be-willing-to-live-fight-and/)

[Carniel Dunlop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carniel-dunlop/)

> [Anyone who is willing to take a bullet for this country, anyone who is willing to serve in uniform, should at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-greitens/anyone-who-is-willing-to-take-a-bullet-for-this-country-anyone-who-is/)

[Eric Greitens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-greitens/)

> [I think the Iraqis themselves will have to make a determination as to what type of government they ultimately come up with and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/i-think-the-iraqis-themselves-will-have-to-make-a-determination-as-to/)

[Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/)

> [I don't know what country's willing to export - for free - the computer scientists, engineers, doctors. It's hard to me to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-videgaray-caso/i-don-t-know-what-country-s-willing-to-export-for-free-the-computer/)

[Luis Videgaray Caso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-videgaray-caso/)

> [What I can do for my country, I am willing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-gadsden/what-i-can-do-for-my-country-i-am-willing-to-do/)

[Christopher Gadsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-gadsden/)

## More by Pramila Jayapal

> [The fact that the immigration issue was the first thing Trump took aim at was a good thing for me, because it's what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/the-fact-that-the-immigration-issue-was-the-first-thing-trump-took/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [Some people have called me the anti-Trump, and I'm so proud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/some-people-have-called-me-the-anti-trump-and-i-m-so-proud/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [We don't get a more responsive government unless we start to systematically run organizing campaigns to change the way government works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/we-don-t-get-a-more-responsive-government-unless-we-start-to/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [I would attend a State of the Union by a president with whom I disagree if I felt she or he was otherwise respectful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-would-attend-a-state-of-the-union-by-a-president-with-whom-i/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [Individuals whose asylum claims have been accepted have gone on to become professors, soldiers in our military, artists, and more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/individuals-whose-asylum-claims-have-been-accepted-have-gone-on-to/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [I feel like young people, more than anyone in the country, always have their moral compass on perfectly straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-feel-like-young-people-more-than-anyone-in-the-country-always-have/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [Trump has hated Amazon for a long time, and I think that that came out in many interviews that he's done with 'Vanity Fair'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/trump-has-hated-amazon-for-a-long-time-and-i-think-that-that-came-out/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [I am on the side of the working person across the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-am-on-the-side-of-the-working-person-across-the-country/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [It took me 17 years to become a U.S. citizen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/it-took-me-17-years-to-become-a-u-s-citizen/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [When I was a little girl, my dad always said to me that I was going to be this great businesswoman, that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/when-i-was-a-little-girl-my-dad-always-said-to-me-that-i-was-going-to/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [When women are told that sexual harassment is 'part of the job' or when assistants of both sexes enable harassing behavior, they have bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/when-women-are-told-that-sexual-harassment-is-part-of-the-job-or-when/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [I'm not a complainer. I'm a doer. So if I see something is wrong, then I feel like I have to get in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-m-not-a-complainer-i-m-a-doer-so-if-i-see-something-is-wrong-then-i/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [As we say we fight for working people, we have to make sure our policies reflect that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/as-we-say-we-fight-for-working-people-we-have-to-make-sure-our/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [The vast majority of immigrants - regardless of the conditions of war and poverty that may wrack their home countries - come and contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/the-vast-majority-of-immigrants-regardless-of-the-conditions-of-war/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

> [I really get my best work done in the morning, so if I have to edit speeches or comments, that all happens before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-really-get-my-best-work-done-in-the-morning-so-if-i-have-to-edit/)

[Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

[Explore all 102 Pramila Jayapal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/)

## More Country quotes

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/)

[Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/)

[Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/)

> [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/)

[Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/)

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/)

[Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/)

> [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/)

[Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/)

> [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/)

[Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/)

[Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I've always believed that immigration is really about who we are as a country and what we're willing to stand up for.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Pramila Jayapal"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is-really-about-who-we-are-as-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Country"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is-really-about-who-we-are-as-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/pramila-jayapal-5245_country_i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is_196829.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/pramila-jayapal-5245_country_i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is_196829.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd7/pramila-jayapal-5245_country_i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is_196829.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I've always believed that immigration is really about who we are as a country and what we're willing to…” — Pramila Jayapal",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Pramila Jayapal",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I've always believed that immigration is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is-really-about-who-we-are-as-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/i-ve-always-believed-that-immigration-is-really-about-who-we-are-as-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
