Politician or anchor baby? A proud American tells his family's immigration story

The Boston Globe reports today on the particular story of a local politician who has a familiar source for his stand on immigration: his own family history:

City Councilor Roy Avellaneda traces his political stance on illegal immigration to a pair of newlyweds from Argentina who spent their honeymoon huddled under a rug, on a cold, hard floor in Dorchester.
His parents - Vicente and Isabel Avellaneda - arrived in America in 1970 with suitcases, winter coats, and $500. She stitched trousers in a factory; he baked bread on Blue Hill Avenue in Roxbury. And for two years they lived in uneasy secrecy as illegal immigrants, like so many of their neighbors today.
Avellaneda's long-kept secret spilled out at a recent state hearing on immigration, following years of reluctance because of the vitriolic national debate on the issue. He said his family is an example of the success that might await the nation's 12 million undocumented immigrants if they are granted permission to stay. His parents are now US citizens and own a landmark bakery on Broadway.

As an immigrant from Argentina, I often find myself in the same peculiar position. Much like the US, a big part of the Argentinean national identity is grounded on a pro-migrant spirit: "A nation of immigrants". Once a scarcely populated set of plains and mountain ranges, Argentina was populated mainly by waves of European immigrants from Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, etc. throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In my case, my dad's native side is complimented by my mom's Ukrainian heritage.
Migration out of Argentina is an exception to the norm, and Avellaneda's story reflects that, as well. A successful local leader who remembers where his family comes from is not a threat to government or sovereignty but rather a strength that can be inspiration for the next generation:

Nationally, politicians and others have recently held up their own stories to show the contributions of illegal immigrants, from 76-year-old US Senator Pete V. Domenici, Republican of New Mexico, whose Italian mother was once here illegally, to 21- year-old Henry Cejudo, an Olympic wrestler and gold medalist and the son of illegal immigrants from Mexico.

It's time to end this standstill and work towards ensuring a path to legalization for our undocumented immigrants. Only then we can really look towards the future with hope.