According to the United Nations, there is a quarter of a billion migrants searching for a way to support themselves in a foreign land when their nation of origin fell short for them.

This quarter of a billion often faces hardship and unemployment in their new homes despite the fact that such things were what they were trying to escape — and for what?

For what reason must they face this hardship? For the sake of a government that fears “overpopulation?” For a people that cry out in a rabid frenzy, “Don’t let them take our jobs!” For the greed and the xenophobia of a nation that somehow overrides basic human decency and simple human empathy?

To address the struggles of humans worldwide, the United Nations established an annual event dedicated to finding solutions: “The World Day of Social Justice.” It falls on February 20. This year, it is dedicated to the workers on the move, the migrants fleeing injustice who deserve to be welcomed into liberty and safety.

The exact details as to what the United Nations plan to do for this year’s celebration is as of yet unclear, but they have shown dedication to advancing social justice in this field in the past, such as through the Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, announced in 2008 and further worked upon in 2016, which was meant to ensure that all persons had equal opportunity in society.

Obviously, that vision did not come true instantaneously and still has not come true. That is the point of the World Day of Social Justice: these issues are current and must be addressed, not only by the United Nations but by the people living in them.

Presently at Ben Davis, hardship is a well-known presence for many students and their families. Many students are open about their history of their family’s history as immigrants to America. Others prefer to keep such details private as to avoid conflict in the current social climate.

February 20 is their day. It is not only a day meant to assure them that, yes, there are powers in the world trying to rid society of the injustices they’ve faced; it is also a day meant to allow them to be proud of who they are, for there is no shame in it. There was never shame in it.