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| A French Lady in New York |
First, we are a nation of immigrants. We used to welcome them with open arms. On some level, we are an immigrant ourselves. Unless, you have Native American ancestors in your bloodline. But seriously, despite that you may have been born in the United States, as well as your parents, grandparents and so on, where did your original family members come from? We are immigrants.
I agree with needing to secure our borders more carefully. And yes, some of our immigrants, illegal or not, are criminals. But what's more important, are those who come to our country seeking a better life are the ones to work their ass off, doing jobs that most of us would not even consider. Those eager and desperate people who come to our country fight hard to educate their children so they don't have to suffer like their own parents have suffered. These people are the ones who have helped shape and mold our country. For better and for worse.
If we had closed our borders all those many, many moons ago and without an Ellis Island, what kind of country would we have? We are a melting pot of many. Irish, Italian, Dutch, Korean, Indian, Polynesian, Japanese, Cuban, French, British, Ethiopian, Peruvian, Canadian, Iranian, Turkish, German, Polish, Czech, Russian and so on and so on....We are immigrants. Without all these different cultures that had blended with the Native peoples that we so snobbishly robbed of their land, ( and you know it happened) what kind of nation would we have? Think about all the wonderful food we have incorporated in our diets and restaurants because of the many who came here brought their heritage. Not to mention traditions and beliefs. And this is all before McDonald's folks. I'm talking about real food. And work ethic. Let's not forget about that. Family? Always a priority. Always.
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| Looks Like My Kind of Place |
I find it ironic that these very thoughts raced across my mind on this Columbus Day. A day that is recognized that an Italian working for the Catholic Monarchs of Spain "discovered" America. Kinda weird, eh? I wonder what he would think of our country today. Sounds like he started out being a bit of a cultural melting pot himself don't ya think? elizinashe
“Give me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to
breathe free, the wretched refuse
of your teeming shore. Send
these, the homeless, tempest-tost
to me. I lift my lamp beside the
golden door! “
Emma Lazarus
Quote inscribed on Ellis Island
your huddled masses yearning to
breathe free, the wretched refuse
of your teeming shore. Send
these, the homeless, tempest-tost
to me. I lift my lamp beside the
golden door! “
Emma Lazarus
Quote inscribed on Ellis Island
2 comments:
The gist of your blog is good. The bone of contention is that there are many immigrants who came here illegally, and are getting resources that used to be reserved for LEGAL immigrants, the ones who applied for and were granted a place at the table, as it were. The resources helped them get started and were temporary, because those immigrants worked hard to get on their feet, and contribute to their adopted country. They learned the language and the laws. They got OFF the "hand-up" we gave them. The illegals far out-number the legal immigrants. The criminal ones are costing our economy and in many cases, lives. My grandparents, on both sides came here through Ellis Island. They had to have a sponsor (someone who was responsible for them until they were established with a job or schooling), a home/place to live, a skill/trade to support themselves and a ticket to their final destination. They had to pass a medical exam, and they could not be a criminal in their own country. What's wrong with that? Our government is using the illegals to polarize the country, to pad the voter rolls and for the Dems, who want to give them everything without a "return on investment" except for their vote, a way to maintain their control. They don't really care about the immigrants, they don't even see them or interact with them unless its in front of a camera. Its sad how the whole situation is manipulated.
I agree with ya Linda. And your personal story sheds some light on how this whole immigration thing has fallen apart, not to mention a wonderful historical fact. I never knew that immigrants needed a sponsor. One thing they just didn't teach in our schools. Sad. And yes, I agree that some of the illegal immigrants are taking advantage of our country in many ways. It's a shame how much things have changed in our country. Thanks for your insight. And as always, thanks for reading!
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