Social justice is programmed into David Lubell’s hard drive. The grandson of Jewish immigrants, he grew up with a keen appreciation of America’s open-door policy toward people from foreign lands, and learned that charity wasn’t the only way to help the nation’s newest arrivals. His sensitivities deepened when he began volunteering at a West Philadelphia youth shelter—when he was still in 7th grade. He studied social justice in college—and, after graduation, traveled to Ecuador to learn Spanish, a skill he figured he’d need to continue along his chosen career path.
“In Ecuador I was welcomed with open arms by my host family and the community where I taught,” he remembers. When he later moved to Tennessee, however, it was a different story. “When I arrived in Memphis after Ecuador, the reception Latino immigrants were receiving was anything but welcoming,” says Lubell. “This disturbed me greatly. And as I began organizing in the Latino community in Memphis, this was something I deeply wanted to change.” Continue reading “A New Weapon in the Immigration Wars: Hospitality”