I was here first.

We have all claimed and heard this at one time or another — as children playing with a toy, as students registering for classes, as people waiting in line for food. Yet “first” should not always make us more deserving than anyone else. As the White House proposes increasing the number of Syrian refugees who can immigrate to the United States, we all must question whether living in the United States first gives us the right to be here more than anyone else.

Whether we happen to come from the Chicago suburbs or Shanghai, we are all lucky to have the chance to attend school in the U.S. and at NU. We all worked hard, but none of us got here alone or without a bit of luck. Knowing this, we cannot deny others an opportunity simply because of partisan politics or apathy toward the crisis.

As White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest explained, the new plan, if approved, will accept 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next year. Although 10,000 is small in comparison to the 4 million people who have fled Syria and refugees who apply today can still face a two-year wait, the plan marks the first significant action the U.S has taken in this area.

As the plan is debated, practical considerations cannot be ignored: security checks, time needed to screen and treat diseases, difficulties of accepting a potentially limitless flow of immigrants. However, we can change our attitude; we can search for ways to admit more refugees instead of reasons not to do so. Then, we as a country may have the motivation to avoid partisan gridlock in changing policy, to reduce the bureaucratic “red tape” in the application process and to help immigrants transition to life in the U.S. As part of a university that includes students and faculty from around the world, it is important for us to understand and empathize with the challenges these migrants face. We know firsthand the benefits of having diverse perspectives in all aspects of life.

When considering an influx of immigrants, competition for jobs is often a concern for students searching for part-time jobs or who are concerned about starting careers after graduation. Indeed, the Syrian Civil War displaced people with all levels of education in all fields who will be applying for jobs here. However, we have no right to deny the opportunity to work for those who were forced to leave their countries. As students, advancement based on merit is crucial. Excluding other candidates to obtain jobs clearly violates this principle. Promoting equal opportunity on campus means little if we fail to extend that attitude to the outside world.

At a time when we struggle to find answers to legal and illegal immigration from south of our borders, allowing and even encouraging refugees from Syria may appear unfair. Cartel violence, poverty and the political instability in Mexico and South American nations are serious reasons to immigrate, even if some of these migrants do not qualify as refugees under the United Nation’s definition. From another perspective, however, as student activists, we cannot advocate for true “immigration reform” if we address immigration from the Americas and ignore those fleeing the war zone in Syria.

Megan Angell  is a Weinberg freshman. She can be reached at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected].

The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.