a little something about the imigration problem

[LittleAl]

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

[nelson]

Indeed, Roosevelt did write these words. They are the most concise summary of our official immigration policy. I would much rather see them inscribed on the Statue of Liberty.

But really, the Statue of Liberty was never intended to be a symbol of immigration. It bore no inscription at the 1886 opening. Only later, after poet Emma Lazarus had died, did her friend succeed in having her sonnet, which had been written for an auction to raise money for the pedestal, actually attached to it, in memorial to the author. Here is the full poem:


Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "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-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"


The lady poet Emma Lazarus never intended to write our official immigration policy. She certainly was not qualified to do so, and, as you can see, her piece actually describes something much broader and greater than American immigration - it is an emotional rejection of old world systems and ideals with the hope of finding freedom, and an adoption of anyone sharing in that yearning. The short line from it so often quoted ("Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses...") is certainly no policy directive, but it has since been used as such, in much the same way that Jefferson's "separation of church and state" has been used. In this case, as in the Jefferson case, I am certain the author would not sanction that use.

Thanks to LittleAl for reminding us of Roosevelt's amazing quote, which is an accurate representation of American immigration policy, being written by a US President in the 20th century. It comes from a letter (http://67.19.222.106/politics/graphics/troosevelt.pdf) he wrote to Richard K. Hurd. Here is the full text:


January 3rd, 1919

Dear Mr. Hurd:

I cannot be with you and so all I can do is to wish you God speed. There must be no sagging back in the fight for Americanism merely because the war is over. There are plenty of persons who have already made the assertion that they believe the American people have a short memory and that they intend to revive all the foreign associations which most directly interfere with the complete Americanization of our people. Our principle in this matter should be absolutely simple. In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact quality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in the very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with some of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part as an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag which symbolizes all against liberty and civilization just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile. We have room for but one language here and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a pollyglot boarding house; and we have room for but one, soul loyalty, and that loyalty is to the American people.

Faithfully yours,

[MYCAR47562]

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