During Donald Trump’s presidential campaign announcement in 2015, he launched a stereotypical attack against undocumented Mexican immigrants: “They’re bringing drugs.They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”This type of political rhetoric has become standardized in the modern political ecosystem, presenting a threat to immigrants across the nation.
But this isn’t a far away issue. At Masters, immigrants impact all walks of life, contributing to the community by providing food to students, teaching, cleaning and bringing cultural perspectives to campus by sending their children to our school.
Furthermore, while not technically immigrants, members of the Masters boarding community from other countries add to the campus culture in a similar way. For example, boarders participated in the International Dinner in May, sharing and learning about each other’s cultures through their home country’s cuisines.
Boarding student Alex Cho ‘27 said, “I think students from different countries bring their own culture with them to the school, and experiencing those cultures or sharing their cultures with me is alway such a great experience.”
Immigrants also bring value to the classroom, enriching the learning experience by adding their perspectives on the topics at hand. Nyasha Chiundiza, Upper School history and religion teacher and a Zimbabwean immigrant, said, “One of the things I like about teaching here is that a lot of the themes we’re talking about in history or in religion are very close to the students because we have people from all
over the world.”
The local Dobbs Ferry community also depends on immigrants. As a town mostly limited to small business owner-
ship, a field dominated by immigrants, the local economy relies heavily on immigrant labor and entrepreneurship to keep restaurants, shops and other services running smoothly.
As students and residents of Dobbs Ferry make their way down Cedar and Main Street, they can see various immigrant owned businesses that provide value to the community.
Yuriy’s Barbershop, owned by an Uzbek immigrant, has been providing affordable haircuts for decades. Golden Dragon, owned by a Hong
Kongese immigrant, serves authentic Chinese food to customers. The newly opened Abbiocco Salumeria & Focacceria, owned by an Italian immigrant, brings traditional Italian cooking.
Together, immigrants and international community members help shape both Masters and Dobbs Ferry into more vibrant, culturally rich and interconnected communities.
Supporting these immigrant-owned businesses and creating spaces for diverse perspectives to flourish are essential to fostering a community where people not only feel comfortable sharing their cultures, but are encouraged to do so.
