This not the first time Maraganore has tweeted his support for the benefits of immigration.
President Donald Trump’s reported disparaging comments about some third-world countries, such as Haiti and some African nations, have drawn sharp rebukes from all corners. Among those criticizing the comment is Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Chief Executive Officer John Maraganore.
Trump allegedly used the term “shithole” to describe the countries of origin of some immigrants coming to the United States during a meeting in the Oval Office last week. Once news of the alleged comment began making the rounds across media outlets Maraganore spoke out against the comment. On his Twitter feed, which was first noted by The Boston Business Journal, Maraganore decried the statement, noting that he is the son of Greek immigrants.
“My Mom and Dad came to this country from what was then a “shithole.” They loved this country. I’m proud to be a “shitholer!,” Maraganore tweeted Friday.
My Mom and Dad came to this country from what was then a “shithole.” They loved this country. I’m proud to be a “shitholer!” https://t.co/gXqgqpupKH — John Maraganore (@JMaraganore) January 12, 2018
Throughout the latter part of the 19th century and through the mid-1940s, many Greeks came to the United States to escape stagnant economic conditions as well as a country ravaged by both World War II and a civil war. Maraganore’s parents were part of one of those waves of immigration. Maraganore’s parents, a physician and nurse, settled in the Chicago area, which has a large population of Greek immigrants.
In addition to his own tweet, Maraganore retweeted MassBio Chief Executive Officer Bob Coughlin who said he would not wait for “someone that looks like me or you” to provide medical assistance to his son who has cystic fibrosis.
My family isn’t going to wait for someone that looks like me or you to keep my son with #cysticfibrosis alive. It takes the best and brightest from ALL OVER the world to cure disease. Everyone is welcome in MA! We need and want you here. @massbio #ThankYou — Bob Coughlin (@BobCoughlin) January 12, 2018
“It takes the best and brightest from ALL OVER the world to cure disease. Everyone is welcome in MA! We need and want you here,” Coughlin added in his tweet.
That’s not the first time Maraganore has tweeted his support for the benefits of immigration. In October, he tweeted that people forget the “dynamism” immigration has brought to the United States.
Many of those who criticized the president’s alleged comment suggested that referring to those particular countries in the vulgar manner he allegedly did while suggesting that the U.S. would be more welcome to immigrants from more advanced countries like Norway was tantamount to racism when looking at the ethnic makeup of the peoples of those various countries. That’s not the first time the president has been taken to task for comments that were seen as racially divisive. Following an incident in Charlottesville, Virginia this past summer, that saw a clash between a group of nativists and members of the alt-right and counter-protestors, Trump was criticized for slowness in criticizing the racist instigators. Among those who were critical of the slowness was Pfizer CEO Kenneth Frazier who ultimately resigned from a presidential manufacturing council as a result. Frazier’s decision to resign from the President’s American Manufacturing Council was “a matter of personal consequence” for Frazier, one of the most high profile African American business leaders in the country. Although Trump became highly critical of Frazier following his resignation from the council, Maraganore tweeted his support of the Pfizer CEO’s decision, the Journal noted. In his tweet, Maraganore said he was proud to stand with Frazier and that “diversity is key to prosperity.”
