Posted on 12/03/2012 1:48:25 PM PST by SeekAndFind
In any debate about immigration, the response you are likely to get will probably include the sickly-sweet mantra, "We're a nation of immigrants."
Whether you're pointing out that illegal immigrants are driving down wages, failing to assimilate, or promoting the welfare state, the answer is predictable: "We're a nation of immigrants."
The "nation of immigrants" mantra is often a plea for compassion toward immigrants. The phrase reflects a desperate, well-meaning desire to rationalize the presence of people who are violating our laws and patronizing the welfare system. The trouble is that repeating a phrase does nothing to enforce our law, preserve our culture, or keep the welfare-state Leviathan at bay.
"We're a nation of immigrants" is an accurate description as far as it goes, but it leaves out several facts whose omission renders the phrase extremely misleading, and totally meaningless.
We were a nation of legal immigrants, almost all of whom arrived as part of a planned legal process, many via Ellis Island. We are a nation of immigrants who, in the past, didn't depend on the welfare state -- even if for no better reason than that there was not much of a welfare state in the past. We were once a nation of immigrants who assimilated instead of maintaining multicultural divisions, as modern immigrants tend to do.
There are serious differences between the immigrants who arrived to America in the 19th and early 20th centuries and those who are arriving today, Hispanics in particular.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
My wife’s Cuban family arrived here penniless, took no charity from anyone (my FIL is an arrogant SOB, and would NEVER)...my wife learned English and graduated from Rutgers with honors and my FIL sold the business he built from the ground up for millions. (I haven’t seen any of that sweet stuff, ahem.)
Now, racists, let’s talk about “Hispanics,” and ignore the Irish, Russian, and Chinese that are gaming the system.
More like a nation of ignorants lately.
the author left out two major points.
during the heyday of Ellis Island, if you were sickly, had no sponsor or were felt to be a potential burden, you were sent back.
Also, one third of those who came went back. if you couldn’t make it you left.
ie the dreck left.
now they stay and go on the dole.
There is an invasion from Mexico, which most of the USA does not approve of. It is nothing like what happened before. It will continue to destroy this country.
It will change the U.S., not destroy it.
We’re going to disintegrate from the weight of our own ignorance, greed and lack of...I don’t want to use the term “morality”...how about “virtue?”
We’re fat, immature and sports-addled. Ripe for the picking.
From the moment my grandparents arrived here from Ireland they strived to become American.They learned English (they spoke Gaelic only) and willingly,*enthusiastically*,assimilated.Today,I’m an *AMERICAN*...no hyphens needed.No hyphens tolerated.
My take on recent Mexican immigration is: They came here for a better life for their families ..at the taxpayers expense. This excellent article goes into much deeper detail. –tom
But your Cuban in-laws didn’t come here as immigrants, they came as refugees....big difference.
“We’re a nation of immigrants.”
And my standard reply is - Yes. We are a nation of Immigrants. LEGAL Immigrants!
The term is meaningless. My original (paternal) ancestor to "immigrate" to the U.S. came here in 1690. Am I therefore an "immigrant" too?
We have illegal immigrants here who have been here for decades and can't be bothered with learning to speak English. Deport them all!
America was not founded or refounded at Ellis Island. We were founded in 1776. We are a settler nation, one with a designed populations, wchich allowd immigrants.
bkmk
That’s an interesting point I haven’t considered.
But now they’re technically immigrants—naturalized, just like my Swedish forebears.
I don’t understand how you never considered the fact that they were refugees. Did you perhaps never meet or speak to them?
Turning half the country into North Mexico is not destroying the country?
Your leaps of illogic are astounding. How do you come to the conclusions you do? Are you 85 and on meds?
I’ve been married for over 25 years...I even lived next door to them for three years. Jeesh. How did you conclude I didn’t even know my in-laws?
I never considered the implications of their status viz a viz being immigrants versus refugees. Legally, they’re both. Morally or rationally...why would that difference reflect on my FIL’s accomplishments? You insinuated that it did. I was seriously considering what you said. I can now see your thinking is...nonlinear...and I just need to bid you good night.
Good night. Be well.
If you listen to some people, it’s always been Mexico.
A lot of my compatriots around here still talk about carpetbagging Yankees ruining “our” South. It’s the same thing.
For the record...a weakened nation on its back and kicking feebly invites colonization by aliens. It’s happened a thousand times, and will happen a thousand more.
Frankly, I think we’re better off as a nation without Southern California.
I did not draw any conclusion whatsoever, I simply asked you a question, when you wrote that it had never occurred to you that they were refugees, I wondered how that could be —
so I asked you “Did you perhaps never meet or speak to them?” That’s not a conclusion, it’s a q u e s t i o n.
There is a huge difference between being an immigrant and being a refugee, legally, morally, emotionally and historically, but since it doesn’t seem to interest you, I won’t bother to elucidate.
I did not draw any conclusion whatsoever, I simply asked you a question, when you wrote that it had never occurred to you that they were refugees, I wondered how that could be —
so I asked you “Did you perhaps never meet or speak to them?” That’s not a conclusion, it’s a q u e s t i o n.
There is a huge difference between being an immigrant and being a refugee, legally, morally, emotionally and historically, but since it doesn’t seem to interest you, I won’t bother to elucidate.
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