0:00:02.048,0:00:03.381 This one's personal. 0:00:05.309,0:00:08.596 I know what it's like[br]to have the government say, 0:00:08.620,0:00:10.739 "We're going to kill you in the morning." 0:00:12.314,0:00:15.885 I know what it's like[br]to leave a country on six hours' notice 0:00:15.909,0:00:17.757 and land on someone's couch. 0:00:17.781,0:00:19.282 Because of that, I wrote a book 0:00:19.306,0:00:22.306 on why countries do well[br]and why they don't. 0:00:23.246,0:00:25.269 Let me summarize 250 pages. 0:00:25.809,0:00:27.524 Countries have to be compassionate, 0:00:27.548,0:00:28.698 they have to be kind, 0:00:28.722,0:00:31.198 they have to be smart,[br]they have to be brave. 0:00:31.539,0:00:33.061 Want to know what doesn't work? 0:00:33.085,0:00:36.109 When you govern through fear[br]and you govern through cruelty, 0:00:36.133,0:00:37.533 it just doesn't work. 0:00:38.117,0:00:39.938 You can play Genghis Khan for a while, 0:00:39.962,0:00:41.512 you can play Stalin for a while, 0:00:41.536,0:00:43.497 you can play Pinochet for a while. 0:00:43.521,0:00:45.721 It does not work in the long run. 0:00:46.776,0:00:48.458 And it doesn't work in the long run 0:00:48.482,0:00:51.172 because to govern[br]through fear and cruelty, 0:00:51.196,0:00:53.196 you have to create a division. 0:00:53.855,0:00:56.823 You have to take big chunks[br]of the country and convince them 0:00:56.847,0:00:58.314 that they're not like them. 0:00:59.862,0:01:01.776 That they shouldn't associate with them, 0:01:01.800,0:01:03.188 they shouldn't talk to them. 0:01:03.212,0:01:04.569 That those people are nasty, 0:01:04.593,0:01:07.234 those people are criminals,[br]those people are rapists. 0:01:08.701,0:01:11.264 And the country is in danger[br]because of them. 0:01:12.551,0:01:16.392 And if you spend millions of dollars[br]doing that in your country, 0:01:16.416,0:01:18.349 you will make enemies abroad, 0:01:20.097,0:01:22.564 and you will create divisions within. 0:01:23.149,0:01:24.882 And that has consequences. 0:01:25.355,0:01:28.261 Three quarters of the flags[br]and the borders and the anthems 0:01:28.285,0:01:29.832 around the United Nations today, 0:01:29.856,0:01:32.085 they were not there a few decades ago. 0:01:33.577,0:01:35.164 Those lines that are there today, 0:01:35.188,0:01:37.942 those flags were created[br]because somebody said, 0:01:37.966,0:01:39.458 "the Scotts are not like us," 0:01:39.482,0:01:40.823 "the Welsh are not like us," 0:01:40.847,0:01:42.288 "the Basques are not like us," 0:01:42.312,0:01:44.233 "the northern Italians are not like us," 0:01:44.257,0:01:45.736 "the Muslims are not like us," 0:01:45.760,0:01:48.360 the blacks, the whites, the Christians. 0:01:49.442,0:01:51.176 You create "us versus them" ... 0:01:52.347,0:01:53.910 you destroy nations. 0:01:55.173,0:01:57.426 Part of the problem[br]from creating us versus them 0:01:57.450,0:01:58.717 is it's hard to do. 0:02:00.109,0:02:01.283 What you have to do 0:02:01.307,0:02:03.905 is you have to make people[br]believe absurdities. 0:02:05.096,0:02:07.587 And once people believe absurdities, 0:02:07.611,0:02:09.906 then they start to commit atrocities. 0:02:10.239,0:02:11.834 That's the dynamic of this thing. 0:02:11.858,0:02:13.925 You can't create "us versus them" -- 0:02:14.236,0:02:16.434 you can't have the massacres[br]you had in Rwanda, 0:02:16.458,0:02:19.051 you can't have the massacres[br]you had in Yugoslavia -- 0:02:19.839,0:02:22.315 unless if you create this dynamic. 0:02:22.339,0:02:24.632 Let me summarize[br]current immigration policy. 0:02:24.656,0:02:26.474 Let's deter "Them" 0:02:26.498,0:02:29.839 by being as cruel as we can possibly be, 0:02:29.863,0:02:31.996 and let's target their children. 0:02:33.474,0:02:36.267 They are going after the children. 0:02:37.252,0:02:40.410 You have US lawyers arguing[br]that kids do not need 0:02:40.434,0:02:42.950 soap or hugs or showers, 0:02:42.974,0:02:44.907 adult help or a release date. 0:02:45.293,0:02:47.654 Somebody gets pulled over[br]for a broken tail light, 0:02:47.678,0:02:50.435 who's worked here for 20 years, 0:02:50.459,0:02:52.134 gets thrown into jail, 0:02:52.158,0:02:53.681 maybe for life, 0:02:53.705,0:02:55.506 with no legal representation. 0:02:55.530,0:02:59.077 The terrorists that blew up[br]the World Trade Center get lawyers. 0:02:59.514,0:03:02.886 These kids, these parents,[br]they don't get lawyers. 0:03:03.966,0:03:05.165 Governments are telling 0:03:05.189,0:03:07.498 some of the most desperate,[br]hurt people on earth, 0:03:07.522,0:03:11.517 "I took your child, pay me 800 dollars[br]for a DNA test before you get it back." 0:03:12.784,0:03:15.108 Three-year-olds are appearing in court. 0:03:15.649,0:03:19.745 Look, we've all watched these[br]courtroom dramas. 0:03:19.769,0:03:20.944 And it's exciting, 0:03:20.968,0:03:23.777 because the wise judge sits up there, 0:03:23.801,0:03:25.797 and the defense lawyer attacks 0:03:25.821,0:03:27.783 and the prosecutor counterattacks, 0:03:27.807,0:03:30.188 and then you figure out[br]how it's going to happen. 0:03:30.212,0:03:33.252 I want you to understand[br]what is happening right now. 0:03:35.220,0:03:38.700 Prosecutor's there --[br]it's the tough prosecutor. 0:03:40.450,0:03:43.938 Accusing, attacking,[br]on behalf of we the people. 0:03:45.436,0:03:47.608 The judge is up there, Judge Muckety-muck, 0:03:47.632,0:03:49.380 with his black robes, 0:03:50.381,0:03:52.008 and he's questioning the defendant 0:03:52.032,0:03:54.166 from up there. 0:03:55.569,0:03:57.355 And the defendant is three years old 0:03:57.379,0:04:00.579 and the eyes don't reach[br]the side of the table. 0:04:02.514,0:04:05.314 The defendant does not speak the language. 0:04:05.911,0:04:10.204 The earphones for the translator[br]have fallen off the defendant's head, 0:04:10.228,0:04:15.560 because there are no headphones[br]for three-year-olds in US courtrooms, 0:04:16.498,0:04:19.437 because they are not supposed[br]to defend themselves. 0:04:21.223,0:04:22.889 This makes a mockery of justice, 0:04:22.913,0:04:25.016 it makes a mockery[br]of the prosecution system, 0:04:25.040,0:04:27.648 it makes a mockery[br]of who we are as a nation. 0:04:28.143,0:04:29.610 These are absurdities. 0:04:30.443,0:04:31.626 These are atrocities. 0:04:31.650,0:04:33.562 This is unbelievable. 0:04:33.586,0:04:35.601 And we're looking[br]at a bunch of statistics, 0:04:35.625,0:04:37.959 but I want you to understand, 0:04:37.983,0:04:42.282 this is happening to the housekeeper[br]who brought up your kids. 0:04:43.529,0:04:46.989 This is happening to the gardener[br]who took care of your house. 0:04:48.291,0:04:50.839 This is happening to the guy[br]who washed the dishes 0:04:50.863,0:04:53.405 in the fancy restaurant[br]you went to last week. 0:04:55.049,0:04:58.535 This is happening to the people[br]who deliver the newspaper in the mornings. 0:04:58.559,0:05:00.048 This is your community, 0:05:00.072,0:05:04.261 these are the people who have lived[br]side by side with you. 0:05:05.467,0:05:06.633 Treated you well, 0:05:06.657,0:05:07.856 treated you with respect, 0:05:07.880,0:05:09.126 taken care of your kids, 0:05:09.150,0:05:10.729 taken care of your grandparents. 0:05:10.753,0:05:13.126 This is Luis, this is Laura, 0:05:13.150,0:05:14.300 this is Jaime. 0:05:14.918,0:05:16.609 This isn't some abstract, 0:05:16.633,0:05:18.428 "Oh, it's happening at the border" -- 0:05:18.452,0:05:21.319 this is happening[br]in our community, right now. 0:05:23.765,0:05:25.114 And the danger in this stuff 0:05:25.138,0:05:28.773 is once you start normalizing[br]absurdities and atrocities, 0:05:28.797,0:05:31.392 people think that[br]those instruments are legitimate. 0:05:31.416,0:05:34.386 So you get school boards[br]sending out letters like this: 0:05:34.410,0:05:35.870 "Dear Parent, 0:05:35.894,0:05:40.044 because your kid owes[br]lunch money to the cafeteria, 0:05:40.068,0:05:42.596 the result may be that your child[br]will be taken away 0:05:42.620,0:05:44.331 and put in foster care." 0:05:44.355,0:05:46.131 This is going out from school boards 0:05:46.155,0:05:47.322 because people think, 0:05:47.346,0:05:50.880 "Well, that seems to be[br]an instrument of deterrence." 0:05:53.219,0:05:55.139 When you board an airplane, 0:05:56.147,0:05:59.273 before kids, before first class, 0:06:00.164,0:06:02.136 soldiers in uniform board. 0:06:03.981,0:06:05.848 Some of them are immigrants. 0:06:06.545,0:06:09.378 Here's a contract: join the army, 0:06:09.402,0:06:11.679 serve your term, be honorably discharged, 0:06:11.703,0:06:12.853 get citizenship. 0:06:14.243,0:06:16.363 We are rescinding those contracts 0:06:16.387,0:06:18.253 after they have been signed. 0:06:19.442,0:06:21.838 And if those soldiers[br]are killed in action, 0:06:21.862,0:06:25.799 we are deporting their wives,[br]and sometimes, their children. 0:06:25.823,0:06:27.895 These are the people who protect us. 0:06:27.919,0:06:30.252 These are the people that we honor. 0:06:30.617,0:06:31.847 These are the brave. 0:06:31.871,0:06:33.593 And this is how we're treating them. 0:06:33.617,0:06:36.561 These are not the people[br]who cross the border illegally. 0:06:36.585,0:06:39.918 Once you start allowing[br]this kind of behavior, 0:06:39.942,0:06:44.434 it normalizes into a society,[br]and it rips the society apart. 0:06:45.045,0:06:48.136 Countries are built on the hard work[br]and grit of immigrants; 0:06:48.160,0:06:49.626 we are all immigrants. 0:06:50.165,0:06:52.522 We just came at different times. 0:06:52.546,0:06:57.554 Fifty-five percent[br]of this country's main businesses, 0:06:57.578,0:07:01.125 the most successful businesses[br]in this country, the unicorns, 0:07:01.149,0:07:05.101 are built by people who came[br]as foreign students or as immigrants, 0:07:05.125,0:07:07.895 and they're the founders[br]or the cofounders. 0:07:07.919,0:07:10.680 Well, here's what's happened[br]over the last three years 0:07:10.704,0:07:12.760 to the best brains in the world. 0:07:12.784,0:07:15.093 Forty-two percent of them[br]did not get visas 0:07:15.117,0:07:17.045 or chose not to get visas. 0:07:17.411,0:07:19.903 This is how you wipe out an economy. 0:07:19.927,0:07:22.193 This isn't about kids and borders. 0:07:22.863,0:07:24.013 It's about us. 0:07:25.696,0:07:28.481 This is about who we are,[br]who we the people are, 0:07:29.387,0:07:31.453 as a nation and as individuals. 0:07:32.601,0:07:34.668 This is not an abstract debate. 0:07:37.852,0:07:39.692 A lot of us like to think 0:07:40.732,0:07:44.071 if we had been back[br]when Hitler was rising to power, 0:07:44.095,0:07:45.903 we would have been out in the street, 0:07:45.927,0:07:48.641 we would have opposed him,[br]we would have stopped Mengele. 0:07:48.665,0:07:50.331 A lot of us like to think, 0:07:51.276,0:07:53.228 if we had been around during the '60s, 0:07:53.252,0:07:55.355 we would have been[br]with the Freedom Riders. 0:07:55.379,0:07:57.910 We would have been[br]at that bridge in Selma. 0:07:57.934,0:07:59.084 Well, guess what? 0:07:59.661,0:08:01.217 Here's your chance. 0:08:01.241,0:08:02.582 It's now. 0:08:02.606,0:08:05.741 And as you're thinking about this stuff, 0:08:05.765,0:08:07.169 it's not just the giant acts, 0:08:07.193,0:08:09.328 it's not just go and block the bridge 0:08:09.352,0:08:11.419 or chain yourself to something. 0:08:12.148,0:08:14.751 It's what you do in your daily lives. 0:08:14.775,0:08:19.918 The Harvard Art Museum just opened a show 0:08:19.942,0:08:23.456 on how artists think about immigration[br]and building a home somewhere else. 0:08:23.480,0:08:26.410 And people come out of that show[br]and they're pretty shaken. 0:08:26.434,0:08:28.292 There was a blank wall at the end. 0:08:29.658,0:08:32.753 And the curators did something[br]that usually doesn't happen -- 0:08:32.777,0:08:33.927 they improvised. 0:08:34.554,0:08:36.917 They drew four lines,[br]and put in two words: 0:08:37.515,0:08:38.703 "I belong." 0:08:38.727,0:08:40.299 So you come out of this exhibit, 0:08:40.323,0:08:42.371 and you can take a picture in front of it. 0:08:42.395,0:08:44.815 I can't tell you the impact[br]that has on people -- 0:08:44.839,0:08:47.092 I watched people come out of this, 0:08:47.116,0:08:49.537 and some of them sat[br]in front of that picture, 0:08:49.561,0:08:52.490 took a picture, and they had[br]a great, big grin on their face, 0:08:52.514,0:08:54.580 and some people just had tears. 0:08:55.173,0:08:57.236 Some people hugged[br]and brought in strangers, 0:08:57.260,0:08:58.997 others brought in their family. 0:09:01.796,0:09:05.574 Small acts of kindness[br]go a long, long, long way. 0:09:06.677,0:09:08.621 There is pain going on in your community 0:09:08.645,0:09:10.245 like you cannot believe. 0:09:11.025,0:09:14.089 So next time you're with a cab driver[br]who may be one of "Them," 0:09:14.113,0:09:16.438 according to certain people, 0:09:16.462,0:09:18.620 give that person an extra five bucks. 0:09:20.025,0:09:22.627 Next time you see a hotel maid, 0:09:22.651,0:09:24.584 thank her and tip her double. 0:09:25.895,0:09:28.283 Next time you see your gardener, 0:09:28.307,0:09:30.331 you see your nanny, 0:09:30.355,0:09:31.712 you see somebody like this, 0:09:31.736,0:09:34.291 give them a great, big hug,[br]and tell them they belong. 0:09:34.315,0:09:35.845 Make them feel like they belong. 0:09:36.856,0:09:38.189 It's time for big policies, 0:09:38.213,0:09:41.935 but it's also time[br]for big acts of kindness. 0:09:43.206,0:09:45.110 Because we have to reclaim who we are, 0:09:45.134,0:09:47.201 we have to reclaim this nation. 0:09:47.712,0:09:50.593 (Voice breaking) And we cannot sit there 0:09:50.617,0:09:52.768 and watch this shit going on. 0:09:53.791,0:09:56.402 This has got to stop,[br]it's got to stop now. 0:09:57.196,0:09:58.373 Thank you. 0:09:58.397,0:10:02.682 (Applause)