I am thankful that Brooklyn, a community of more than 2.6

Hear the words of Eric Adams, spoken with reverence for the city he calls home: “I am thankful that Brooklyn, a community of more than 2.6 million people of which nearly half speak a language other than English at home, stands as a shining example of how immigration and diversity have made us a safer and stronger place to live, work, and experience the American dream.” This statement resounds like a hymn to unity, a reminder that the strength of a people does not come from sameness, but from the weaving together of many threads into one enduring fabric.

The ancients too understood this mystery. The Roman Empire, at the height of its power, was not built by Romans alone. Its legions, its markets, its culture—all were enriched by the contributions of peoples from Africa, Asia, and Europe. The empire thrived not in spite of its diversity, but because of it. So too does Brooklyn, with its countless voices and tongues, stand as a modern citadel of resilience, proving that difference is not a weakness to be feared, but a treasure to be embraced. Adams’ words are an echo of this ancient wisdom: that immigration is not a threat, but a renewal of life itself.

Consider the story of Ellis Island, the gateway through which millions entered America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Among them were families who spoke little English, who carried no wealth but their hope. Many settled in New York’s boroughs, including Brooklyn, where they built communities of strength, founded businesses, and laid the bricks of the very neighborhoods still standing today. Their labor, their traditions, their sacrifices became part of the great mosaic of America. Adams, in his gratitude, reminds us that today’s immigrants continue this same legacy, keeping alive the American dream not as a myth, but as a living reality.

The quote also speaks of safety and strength. For some may falsely believe that difference breeds division, that many languages mean many conflicts. Yet Adams turns this on its head: he declares that diversity has made Brooklyn safer. Why? Because when many cultures learn to live side by side, when neighbors share bread though their ancestors once lived oceans apart, they weave bonds of trust stronger than walls. A community built on respect for difference cannot be easily divided by fear.

And yet, gratitude is the heart of this message. Adams says, “I am thankful.” To be thankful is to see clearly, to resist the blindness of prejudice and the poison of ingratitude. He does not merely acknowledge diversity as a fact—he treasures it as a blessing. Thankfulness transforms diversity from something tolerated into something celebrated, from something endured into something cherished. This is the spirit that turns strangers into neighbors, immigrants into citizens, and a city of millions into a single beating heart.

The lesson for us, then, is both simple and profound. Wherever you dwell—whether in a great city or a small town—embrace those who come from elsewhere. Welcome the voices that sound different from your own, for in them lies wisdom you do not yet know. Recognize that every culture carries gifts—food, language, stories, skills—that enrich the common table. And above all, practice gratitude, remembering that what makes a community strong is not the sameness of its people but their willingness to stand together in love.

Practical wisdom follows: learn a word in your neighbor’s language; break bread with those from another land; teach your children that the stranger is not to be feared but to be understood. In these simple acts, you carry forward the truth Adams proclaims—that immigration and diversity are not burdens but blessings, not threats but pillars of the American dream.

Thus, his words rise as both praise and prophecy: “Brooklyn… stands as a shining example.” Let every city, every community, strive to become such an example. For in gratitude, in welcome, and in unity, we find not only safety and strength, but the living flame of hope that lights the future. Be thankful for difference, honor diversity, and together you will build a fortress stronger than steel: the fortress of a shared humanity.