I’ll bet your ancestors came from somewhere else. If you’re an American, and you’re not a Native American, I can guarantee it. There seems to be a lot of debate and negativity concerning immigrants in the U.S. lately. In New Orleans, we’re a port city, so in recent times we’re used to travelers and transients. Since Katrina, we’ve seen a lot of Latinos come to the city, primarily to help build and repair the city. Within 10 or 20 years, who knows how much more Latin New Orleans will be?

I’ve never understood the brouhaha about immigrants coming in and “taking over” this country. Virtually every first- or second-generation immigrant I’ve met in the city is working his or her butt off to achieve the “American dream.” It’s interesting that our long-term, indicted representative Bill Jefferson was defeated by a Vietnamese immigrant, Joseph Cao. Let’s just hope and pray that he doesn’t get caught with a stash of cash in his freezer.

Personally, I am puzzled by the attempt to build a huge wall between the U.S. and Mexico to keep Mexicans out of the southern U.S. If you look at the U.S., we’re a nation of immigrants who have banded together to create our own national identity. In New Orleans, all of us—Germans, Italians, Irish, French, Spanish, Honduran, Vietnamese, Cubans, white, black, mixed, Asian, straight, gay, old and young—have a staunch love for our city, her music and culture, her traditions, history and quirks, even though we bitch and moan about corruption. We complain about crime. We’re sad about it. We’re scared. But what have we done to change the fundamental problems of poverty, lack of a proper education, and a poor home life that leads a young person to a life of crime? You can’t complain and put your head in the sand. I don’t think a recent immigrant would put up with the shenanigans we endure as the cost of living in this beautiful city. A recent immigrant would bust his (or her) chops to make sure the kids had good schooling and the discipline to become a productive member of local society. I don’t know if anyone’s done any studies, but I believe that the newer a person is to a place, the harder they work to fit in and be successful. Doesn’t that make sense?

We need more cultural “immigrants” to this city. New Orleans, despite her reputation as a partying and free-for-all kind of place, is actually very, very conservative, tradition-bound, and resists change and anything new. That means people, too. We’re set in our ways around here. We are very myopic about our culture. We’re crazy conservative about our music.

In my experience, the most successful and joyous people that have worked at OffBeat have been those who are not from the city—cultural immigrants. Most of them are young, in their 20s, and are a little more adventuresome than people their age.

They may listen to popular music, but they’re enthralled with funk, or R&B or jazz. They think New Orleans is a very special, unique place that needs nurturing and rebuilding. Not only that, they are willing to work to help the city. What more could one ask from a cultural immigrant?

Some of those folks came to New Orleans many years ago from someplace else, and are still here trying to make a difference. To name just a few: Sharon Litwin (of the LPO), Jason Patterson (Snug Harbor), Jordan Hirsch (Sweet Home New Orleans), Pat Jolly, David Freedman (WWOZ), Scott Aiges (Jazz & Heritage Foundation), and so many more. These are the kinds of people we want in the city. We need more of them!

Finally, the city is doing something about Armstrong Park. We pass it every night on the way home, and I haven’t seen the Armstrong sign lit and and beautiful in such a long time. The lights are on in the park and it’s great. There’s a two-week celebration that kicks off on January 8 with a huge free concert in Mahalia Jackson Theatre (finally being reopened) that’s sponsored by the city. Both the New Orleans Ballet and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will—at last—have proper homes again, and they’re collaborating on an event on January 10 in the theater. The festivities conclude January 17 with the New Orleans Opera’s performance with Placido Domingo (see “Fresh” in this issue). It’s about time. Now all we need is music in the vacant buildings on North Rampart Street (Jazz, not discos! Bistros, not strip clubs and cover bands!). Then we need some action in Armstrong Park itself: regular art markets, performances. I’m so impatient for Armstrong Park and Congo Square to be populated again!

And finally, you must, must come to OffBeat’s Best of the Beat Awards on January 31 at the House of Blues. Every year we have so much fun planning this event, and we really work to put on a good show for you and an event that will honor our wonderful musicians and the people who are part of our music community. Our main honorees this year are Big Chief Bo Dollis of the Wild Magnolias and my dear friend, music entrepreneur and talent, Harold Battiste. We will also honor James Booker, one of the greatest pianists the city has ever produced with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement in Music Award. Tickets are $25 (we have limited numbers of $20 tickets) and must be purchased through Ticketmaster, or at hob.com, or their box office (I can’t help it, readers, that’s the way it rolls on tickets). Check out the page next to this epistle for more information on free eats, free drinks, great music and a few surprises during the evening. For updates on how to vote for the musician or band you think deserves a Best of the Beat Award this year, stay tuned to our Weekly Beat newsletter (sign up free at OffBeat.com). Let me know if you want to come to the city for this event, and we’ll get you a good hotel deal.

We can’t wait to see you there!