IMMIGRANT PRIVILEGE OF LIVING IN UNITED STATES

Immigrant Privilege Of Living In United States

Immigrant Privilege Of Living In United States

Introduction

All immigrants deserve a clearly defined, easy to follow and achieve roadmap to US citizenship. After all, the United States of America is one of the few nations in recorded history founded - and continually populated by immigrants. My own people where among the Irish immigrants who settled in the US at the end of the 19th Century. Without a roadmap, immigrants don't stand a chance! What seems to be forgotten in today's politically correct forums, is that there IS a roadmap. There are people the world over who's sole dream is to come to the United States to avail themselves of the abundance of good and the abundance of opportunity that the United States offers, abundances which their own countries lack. People like my great-grandfather who left his native Denmark due to the aggressive nature of the German military during the Prussian War era.

But he did not sneak over the border. He did not demand to be educated in his native Danish language, nor expect US Government officials to cater to his need for Danish written documents; nor did he attempt to maintain a "Danish" sub-culture in his adopted land. He took steps to gain US citizenship as soon as he was able, and he assited other Danish emigres who followed in learning the English language and attaining their own citizenship. So, perhaps it's time to carefully weigh the words of Emma Lazarus' epic poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty, which tells those countries who abase and abuse their citizens:

"Give us 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!"

I'm not suggesting we eradicate either the words or the sentiment from the base of the Statue of Liberty, but I think we need to remember that these words at one point stood at the only legal point of entry; they were the welcome mat on our front door. But when folks begin to avoid the front door and try to sneak in through the back door - or the bathroom window - those folks don't deserve the welcome mat.

 

Discussion

Yes all immigrants need to have a "roadmap" to citizenship but what needs to be done first is to make the ...