Johann Bonelli, the family progenitor, was born in Weingarten, Switzerland, in 1827 and emigrated to America in 1859 on the ship ‘Emerald Isle.’ He came west to Utah with the George Cannon company the following year, marrying Johanna Harrison of Glouster, England, in April of 1830. They had three sons; George, Edwin and Alfred. 
Johann owned and operated a merchantile and drug store in Tooele, Utah, and was postmaster from 1881 to 1887. He died in December of 1899 and is buried in the city cemetery. 
I knew nothing of this until I was working an AHRMA event there over a hundred years later and stopped by the local library where a ‘founders monument’ in the plaza entrance included his name among the town pioneers. 
My family, and likely yours as well, have immigrant roots. Had he been treated as today’s immigrants are, its quite likely he would have gone elsewhere. 
People come to be free, to have a better life and a brighter future than where they came from. Generations later, the true benefits of their faith in America are bestowed upon their offspring. 
Am I grateful for this gift? Do I admire his courage and fortitude? Yes, and yes again to all who came after to make my life so fulfilling. 
Today, if you come to our shores from a country where a communicable disease exists, you are turned away. Not because of who you are, or whether you are infected or exposed, but simply because your home country has had an outbreak of something. It’s not personal they say, its a health issue and we are just protecting ourselves. 
Without evidence of having any personal defect at all, we are diminishing opportunities for many deserving families who have faced tremendous hardships just to get here. We are also depriving ourselves of their contributions to our nation’s future. My Christmas wish for all of them, and all of us, is that this will end. 
We must either help make their lives better where they came from or let them make them better here. Think of it as a gift exchange. We already got ours.