AMERICAN WAY

AMERICAN WAY

“We are still a country of immigrants, some of us have just been here a little longer than others”P,I,B.

I feel qualified to address this subject because I am the son of a son, of an Italian Immigrant.

Few things stir my heart like the stories of the American Immigrant, the architects of these United States. They had so little, often arriving here with only a few personal possessions, yet they have given and shared so much. Most Americans can easily trace our roots to the first of our relatives that made their way to the United States. They came here from every country, from every corner of the world to our shores. When I look back at the old pictures of immigrants as they arrived at Ellis Island, I can see a look relief, of expectation, and of hope in their eyes. They had reached their new home.

Everyone used to call the Unites States the “Great Melting Pot”, and it was. People from all over the world would risk everything just to come to our shores. Here they expected to find liberty, opportunity, financial success, and religious freedom.

These people left everything they ever knew behind to take a chance on this country. Many left friends, family, homes, and their way of life. They came here to share in the “American Dream”, however they also brought their skills, their ambitions, their hopes and dreams. Many of them succeeded beyond their wildest dreams when their hard work and imagination were turned loose on a vast and hungry new nation destined for greatness.

The truth is that America was called the “Great Melting Pot” because these people from all over the world came here to be Americans. Yes they honored and preserved the important parts of their individual cultures, but they gladly learned our language, our laws, and our ways. They Pledged their allegiance to our country and to our Flag, to our nation, their new home. With their sweat they helped build and shape this country. They help build our roads, our infrastructure, railroads, and our great bridges. Their contributions, their strengths and talents are what made this country great.

Today, I’m afraid that America is moving away from being the “Great Melting Pot”. We are moving from a homogonous mix of peoples to a multi-cultured and fractured society. Many people entering this country today are arriving illegally. They are not here to melt in with American’s ways. They want to retain their language, their ways, and their loyalties. We should all be proud of our past and our heritage; but put the emphasis on being Americans first and foremost. Especially today, we need more things that bind us together and fewer things that separate us. Unfortunately some are not here to bring their individual skills and contributions to make an even better America; they are here only to take from this great country. Worse yet some are here not to build us up, but to tear us down.
Instead of learning and adapting to our beliefs, ways and laws, they want us to learn and adapt to their beliefs, laws, and ways. Instead of “melting in” and becoming one with us, they want to separate us from them, and them from us. This is not the formula that made this country great. Our diversity has made us strong but our ability to assimilate these cultures has made us great.

We need to control our immigration and make sure that people who arrive here are here for the right reasons. All new immigrants should learn our language, our history, and our laws. People entering this country should bring a skill, willingness to work and study, they should pledge their allegiance. Their presence should strengthen American, not siphon off from it. If new entrants are not willing to assimilate, then we should not be willing to admit them. Period…

I think that once we enforce the proper policy for immigration, we can then open our borders once again, and attract the best and brightest, the hardest workers, the students and the dreamers of the world. Each group that has come here has made huge contributions to our nation and to our culture, in the form of art, science, literature, music, and sports. This mix, this random cocktail of peoples from around the globe, has helped make the United States the greatest country in the world. The glue that holds us together is not their wealth, but their burning desire to contribute and to be free.

"Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

With each passing generation, we leave our foreign roots farther behind, not to be forgotten but to be part of our heritage. The heritage of our children, and our children’s children as they celebrate being true Americans.

Please feel free to contact me at: pooritalianboy@gmail.com

Also see my article: “An Immigrants Story”
P.I.B.