Here are some perspectives on immigration from Vietnamese, Chinese and Khmer high school members of SEACA, the Southeast Asian Community Alliance.  Members live in L.A. Chinatown, Solano Canyon/Elysian Park and Lincoln Heights.  All members come from immigrant and refugee families, or are themselves recent immigrants.

SEACA's mission is to build an empowered Southeast Asian community through leadership development, education, advocacy and community organizing and we work in collaboration with other communities in the struggle for social, economic and racial justice.

Students were a bit shy, so most posts are anonymous!

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"Immigration is important because we are what makes America.  We have all the blue-collar jobs and we're treated unequally and people who believe that we immigrants are taking their jobs are foolish because they know damned right that they don't want to do or work the jobs we do.  Plus...it's important to have a country that's diverse." -- 11th grader at Lincoln High

"I can meet more different kinds of people, understanding their culture, and their own stories.  The reason why I am here as an immigrant is because the chance to get into college is higher in the U.S." -- 10th grader at Lincoln High

"Immigration is important to me because it's part of my heritage and it's why I am here today.  I think it is unfair for people to be denied opportunities and knowledge that places like the U.S. can offer." -- 10th grader at Lincoln High

"Immigration is important to me because my family are immigrants.  Despite the hate towards immigrants, I feel differently, because I can relate to the issue.  My family, and many other people I know, have come to the United States to look for better lives, and for that, I am grateful.  I hope there will be laws later established that will improve ideals and concepts toward immigration." -- Carol Nguyen, 10th grader at Downtown Magnets High School

"Immigration is important to me because my family members who are still in Vietnam wish they could come but feel threatened to.  I wish I could do something that is significant enough that would allow immigrants to migrate into the U.S. or whatever country they wish to go to." -- John Tang, 10th grader at Lincoln High