Bush Center in Texas places focus on immigration stories with podcasts

Former U.S. President George W. Bush speaks at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas June 27, 2019. CNS photo/Sergio Flores, Reuters

The Texas-based George W. Bush Presidential Center has debuted a series of podcasts highlighting stories of immigrants to the United States, saying that their value to the nation extends to the contributions of their U.S.-born children.

“Immigration has always been an important part of our nation’s history, but the value immigrants bring to our country isn’t limited to the immigrants themselves,” said a news release from the Bush center introducing the series of podcasts titled “The Story of U.S.”

The podcasts share “accounts from the children of immigrants celebrating the multigenerational impact of new Americans,” the center said.

They include stories from actress Sara Paxton, who talks about the Mexican side of her family, including her mother, born in Monterrey, Mexico; comedian Gus Constantellis, who talks about growing up surrounded by Greek culture and family; and Alan Smolinisky, co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose late father was an immigrant from Argentina and taught him to love baseball.

Via the podcasts, “we talk to the children of immigrants, learn more about their families’ stories, and celebrate how the rich diversity of new American families strengthens our communities — across generations,” the center said.

It added that the podcasts are “part of the Bush Institute’s broader policy work in immigration, which provides bold, principle-based solutions on immigration reform.” The George W. Bush Institute is housed within the Bush center.

The podcasts can be heard on on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Play.

The 43rd U.S. president, whose post-presidency hobbies include oil painting, also recently unveiled an exhibit of his portraits of immigrants to the United States. They have been included in a book that also details their stories.

On its website, the center says it is devoting the year to focus on the importance of immigration policy. Bush has joined former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton in efforts to work with faith-based refugee resettlement organizations as they help Afghan refugees following U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.