A Special Message from Jim about his dad, a Cuban refugee, and what the deportation of an 11 year old US citizen to Mexico says about America.

Summary

Podcast Summary: A Special Message from Jim about His Dad, a Cuban Refugee, and What the Deportation of an 11-Year-Old US Citizen to Mexico Says About America

Podcast Information

• Title: The Jim Acosta Show
• Host: Jim Acosta
• Episode: A Special Message from Jim about his dad, a Cuban refugee, and what the deportation of an 11-year-old US citizen to Mexico says about America.
• Release Date: May 14, 2025
• Description: Don't give into the lies. Don't give into fear. Hold on to the truth. And hope.

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In this heartfelt episode, Jim Acosta delivers a poignant message intertwining personal history with current socio-political issues. Drawing from his family's immigrant experience, Acosta reflects on the values of compassion and community support, contrasting them with the present-day policies and attitudes towards immigrants in the United States.

1. Reflecting on His Father's Immigration Journey [00:00 - 05:30]

Jim Acosta begins by sharing the story of his father, a Cuban refugee who arrived in the United States in 1962 at the age of 11, just weeks before the Cuban Missile Crisis. He recounts how his father navigated the challenges of adapting to a new country during a more conservative era under President John F. Kennedy.

“My dad, when he came to this country from Cuba back in 1962… he was 11 years old… a more conservative time in this country…” ([00:00])

Acosta emphasizes the pivotal role education played in his father's assimilation, highlighting a compassionate teacher at Vienna Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia, who dedicated extra time each day to teach him reading and writing.

“There was a teacher… spent time with them so he could learn how to read and write.” ([00:00])

2. Acts of Kindness and Community Support [05:31 - 10:15]

The narrative shifts to the supportive community that welcomed his father and grandmother. Acosta shares touching anecdotes about the Presbyterian Church in Vienna, Virginia, which provided his family with essential winter clothing during their first harsh winters in the U.S.

“The Presbyterian Church in Vienna, Virginia, provided them with sweaters and coats.” ([00:00])

He recalls his father’s memories of his first snowfall and the warmth extended by neighbors, illustrating the embodiment of American kindness and generosity.

3. Experiences of Racism and Bigotry [10:16 - 15:45]

Despite the overarching kindness, Acosta does not shy away from acknowledging the presence of racism and bigotry his father encountered. He shares a personal experience of witnessing a racist incident at a Baltimore Orioles game, where a fan hurled an epithet at the Cuban baseball player Jose Canseco.

“Somebody hurled a racist epithet at that baseball player right in front of my dad. And it made me feel terrible.” ([00:00])

This incident underscores the persistent undercurrent of discrimination faced by Hispanic and Cuban communities, even amidst supportive environments.

4. Current Concerns: Deportation of an 11-Year-Old US Citizen [15:46 - 20:00]

Acosta brings the discussion to the present, expressing deep concern over the deportation of an 11-year-old US citizen to Mexico. He draws parallels between his father's experience and the current tragic situation, highlighting the loss of compassion in immigration policies.

“What scares me about the time that we're in the middle of right now is that this bigotry, this racism… is teaching other people in this country to hate newcomers.” ([00:00])

5. Critique of Current Administration and Policies [20:01 - 25:30]

The host sharply criticizes the current administration, led by Donald Trump and influenced by figures like Stephen Miller, for fostering an environment of cruelty and authoritarianism. He condemns the behavior of ICE agents, describing their actions as "absolute cruelty."

“This is not who we are. The country that I think we are is represented by the people who helped my dad… That's the America that I know.” ([00:00])

Acosta argues that the current direction contradicts the foundational American values of kindness and empathy, urging a return to these principles.

6. Call to Action: Advocating for Compassion and Change [25:31 - 30:45]

Jim Acosta makes a compelling appeal to both ICE agents and the broader American populace. He encourages ICE agents who are disillusioned with their roles to come forward and share their stories, thereby exposing the inhumanity of current immigration enforcement practices.

“I would encourage those ICE agents, if you are a part of it and you're ashamed of it, you don't want to be a part of it. Talk to somebody in the press.” ([00:00])

Additionally, Acosta calls on citizens to speak out against the prevailing cruelty, emphasizing that collective action is essential to halt the deterioration of America's moral standing.

“Somebody has to say something because it's only going to get worse. And this is not who we are.” ([00:00])

7. Conclusion: Embracing America's Better Angels [30:46 - End]

Concluding his message, Acosta invokes the notion of "the better angels," a reference to Abraham Lincoln, to inspire hope and reaffirm belief in America's capacity for goodness and compassion.

“We're the better angels that are always calling to us from inside of us.” ([00:00])

He reminisces about the America that embraced his family and served as a beacon of hope, urging listeners to reclaim those values.

“The America that I know is represented by the people who helped my dad… That's the America that we should be.” ([00:00])

Jim Acosta wraps up the episode with gratitude towards his listeners and key individuals who supported him, reinforcing his commitment to truth and integrity in these challenging times.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jim Acosta [00:00]: “There was a teacher… spent time with them so he could learn how to read and write.”

• Jim Acosta [00:00]: “Somebody hurled a racist epithet at that baseball player right in front of my dad. And it made me feel terrible.”

• Jim Acosta [00:00]: “This is not who we are. The country that I think we are is represented by the people who helped my dad…”

• Jim Acosta [00:00]: “We're the better angels that are always calling to us from inside of us.”

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Key Takeaways

1. Personal History as a Lens: Acosta uses his father's immigration story to highlight the values of compassion and community support that facilitated integration and success.

2. Current Challenges: He draws attention to the harsh realities of current immigration policies, emphasizing the emotional and moral implications of deporting young US citizens.

3. Call for Compassion: The episode serves as a rallying cry for Americans to return to foundational values of empathy and kindness, challenging the prevailing narrative of bigotry and cruelty.

4. Activism and Advocacy: Acosta urges both officials within institutions like ICE and the general populace to take a stand against inhumane practices, advocating for systemic change.

5. Hope and Resilience: Despite the grim assessment, there remains an undercurrent of hope, anchored in the belief that America's better angels will prevail.

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This episode of The Jim Acosta Show is a moving testament to the enduring spirit of American kindness and the urgent need to uphold these values in the face of contemporary challenges. Through personal anecdotes and incisive critique, Jim Acosta not only honors his father's legacy but also inspires listeners to contribute to a more compassionate and just society.

Transcript

[Jim Acosta]

Hoops to make that happen. And so you know that. But one of the things that I think about when I think about my dad, and it ties back to the conversation that I had with Joaquin Castro earlier. Joaquin Castro mentioned that the. The little girl that he visited in Mexico, the family was 11 years old, or is 11 years old. U.S. citizen. She's a U.S. citizen. She was deported from this country. A U.S. citizen. Just keep that in mind. My dad, when he came to this country from CUBA Back in 1962, this was three weeks before the Cuban Missile Crisis, was 11 years old and back in those days. And one has to think it was a more conservative time in this country and so on. John F. Kennedy was president. Perhaps things were a bit more progressive in that sense. But as a country, it was just a different time. Right. When I talked to my dad about growing up in Northern Virginia, in Fairfax County, Virginia, went to Vienna Elementary School, he talks about how he had a teacher who would pull him out of the classroom every day, teach him how to read and write. This is a little Cuban kid, you know, didn't how to. Didn't know how to read, didn't know how to write at that point. And there was. There was a teacher, he would tell me about it, Vienna Elementary School, who would pull him out every day and spend time with them so he could learn how to read and write. If you talk to him today, he does not even have a Spanish accent, no Cuban accent at all. He came here early enough where I guess he adopted kind of an American accent. And he talks so affectionately and lovingly about the community he grew up with in Northern Virginia at that time. He talks about the Presbyterian Church in Vienna. I've told you some of these folks who are watching this story before I've mentioned it on PBS and other places, talks about the Presbyterian Church in Vienna, Virginia, and how the people there, because my dad and my grandmother, when they came over, it was getting cold, and they had never experienced a D.C. winter before. He tells a story about how the Presbyterian Church in Vienna, Virginia, provided them with sweaters and coats. And this is in the 1960s, Americans in Virginia, obviously a different state than it is now. And my dad talks about his first snow and so on, showing the kind of love and compassion that we should be showing today. And this was 60 years ago. And why did people back in those days show that? And it was not a perfect country. I know all of that. And there were major problems in this country at that time. There's no question about it. But in his community, Those are the stories that he remembers. Those are the stories he remembers. He remembers the stories of people being kind of people being welcoming. Did we experience racism and bigotry towards Hispanics and Cubans from time to time? When I was growing up, absolutely. I went to a Baltimore Orioles game with my dad, this before the Nationals were in Washington. And we went to go see a famous baseball player there that, that he liked, Jose Canseco, Cuban. And somebody hurled a racist epithet at that baseball player right in front of my dad. And it made me feel terrible. And so, yes, all of that existed back then, no question about it. But what he remembers from the experience that he had growing up in Northern Virginia, right outside Washington D.C. was people being kind and generous and to me, showing what is really the American way. That's the American way. Showing kindness and empathy and compassion to newcomers in this country. And what scares me about the time that we're in the middle of right now is that this bigotry, this racism, this meanness, this nastiness, this cruelty that is coming down from the White House, coming down from Donald Trump, coming down from Stephen Miller, is not only showing American cruelty towards those migrants, to that little 11 year old girl who's a US citizen sent out of this country, it's teaching other people to hate, is teaching other people in this country to hate newcomers to this country, maybe because they have brown skin, maybe because they have a Spanish last name, maybe because they speak with a Spanish accent, Mexican accent, Central American accent, so on. And that's not who we are. And so, you know, I, I share this story because it was on my mind as I was driving my dad back from the eye doctor and thinking about these kids, these kids that we've been sending out of this country. Who are we? What kind of cruelty, what kind of ugliness is coming out of this White House right now and it's infecting the people in ICE where they feel like they have to put masks on to carry out this nasty, cruel business, that paycheck ain't worth it, man or ma' am. I see men and women doing this, just showing absolute cruelty to these people. And I would encourage those ICE agents, if you are a part of it and you're ashamed of it, you don't want to be a part of it. Talk to somebody in the press, talk to a reporter. You keep the mask on, I suppose, and tell your story, but should get the word out because this is not who we are. The country that I think we are is represented by the people who helped my dad when he came to this country more than 60 years ago. That's the America that I know. That's the America I grew up loving and caring about and respecting in this country that I'm patriotic about. That's the America that we should be. Not this cruelty, Donald Trump, corrupt, MAGA America that we're becoming right now. This nasty, mean, authoritarian like country that we're becoming. That's not who we are. We're. We're the better angels that are always calling to us from inside of us. And I know there are people inside the Republican Party who want to shout this from the rooftops that they're not about this either. It's time. It's time to start. As Joaquin Castro was saying at the beginning of this show, this has been going on for only 100 days or so. There's about a thousand to go. We can't go through this without some of you guys coming out of the woodwork and speaking out. Somebody has to say something because it's only going to get worse. And this is not who we are. We need to be who we, I think were born to be as Americans. And that is showing the kind of kindness and compassion that my dad experienced more than 60 years ago. In the meantime, thanks, everybody for watching. Really appreciate it. My thanks to Congressman Joaquin Castro. My thanks to Elise Labet. My thanks to all of you for tolerating some of my scatterbrainedness today as I was racing back from the doctor's office. Good to see all of you. We'll see you tomorrow. Thanks so much for watching. Have a good night, everybody. Take care. Still reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. Good night.