SAN ANTONIO – After Noah Delgado’s language arts class was assigned to write an essay about “Why I am glad America is a nation of immigrants,” his mother, Deya, suggested he write about his great-great-grandfather, Federico Sanchez, who came to Texas in the late 1800s, and his legacy.
Noah, 10, said other than learning more about him from his grandmother and help with punctuation from his mother and father, he wrote the essay that will now compete nationally in the American Immigration Council’s creative writing contest, which is facilitated by the immigration law firm of DeMott, McChesney, Curtright and Almendariz.
Irma Gonzalez, Noah’s language arts teacher at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School, said she enters her students’ essays every year.
Gonzalez said she thinks it’s important to make the students aware of the issues surrounding immigration. When she read Noah’s essay, she said, “I was impressed, and I was in awe.”
Noah's mother said she was surprised not only at how knowledgeable her son is, but also “the way he expressed himself, the way he showed his concern and awareness of their struggle.”
Noah said he used his love of reading and writing to convey his message.
"I just love how inspired people are just to come here," he said.
He said that’s why he doesn’t agree with immigrant policies limiting the immigrants' chances of becoming Americans.
“I just felt badly for everyone who just wanted a better life,” he said.
The little boy will now read his essay before a roomful of America’s newest citizens at a naturalization ceremony Thursday.
“It’s going to be heartwarming because I’ll see all their effort paid off," he said.