“You forgot where you came from.”Like millions of Americans, Ryan is descended from immigrants. The house speaker’s great-great grandfather, James Ryan, fled Ireland for America in 1851 at the tail-end of a devastating famine. Ryan has referenced his ancestry in the past, in part to throw support behind immigration reform. During a 2012 forum on immigration reform, Ryan read from a 19th century pamphlet for Irish immigrants that described America as a land of opportunity for those willing to work for it. Many refugees and immigrants find themselves in similar situatio today, trying to escape from hunger and persecution only to face discrimination when they reach America’s shores, Aslan said.

Source: Huffington Post January 31, 2017 23:10 UTC