Immigration Issues

I have to say one of my favorite and emotional pieces of literature is the poem inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty: 

      “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.”

Emma Lazarus wrote those words. She was a high society New York woman who was a serious writer of poetry. Somehow she captured the meaning of the Statue of Liberty precisely.

Her poem has long stood as an open welcome and entreaty for foreign strangers to enter and adopt our land as theirs. We may have adopted limitations along the way to better manage the enormous flow of immigrants, but the intent has not changed.

America was built on immigrants coming to our shores and adopting us entirely. Their perspectives, cultures, histories and biographies not only merge with those already here, but have built and expanded the breadth and depth of who we are, who Americans are. Our talents are renewed and refreshed with each new immigrant. Our knowledge and genius is expanded as well. Who we are as a nation is defined by who lives, breeds, and aspires here.

The very notion that we would withdraw our welcome mat to newcomers chills my heart and soul. To the core.

Liberty is all-welcoming. It is the purest form of America I can think of. I know massive resettlement of immigrants taxes our communities and states. It is chaotic at times, especially for those towns and cities where the largest groups gather. In time, however, these new citizens spread to other parts of the country and blend in. They learn our culture and change it all at the same time. They bring new ideas to our well traveled past. They perk up our thinking and adaptation to change.

Throughout our history, however, blemishes on our handling of immigrants have happened. We have pushed people away when we weren’t sure of their loyalty to America. We have placed quotas on entry when the numbers were overwhelming. And once in our land immigrants often faced terrible discrimination. The Germans, Irish and Italians know of what I speak!

In time these embarrassments have ebbed for the most part. Their sting remains but fresh discrimination is now a trickle. Unless you are Hispanic and fresh over our southern border. They settled in as migrant agriculture workers and day laborers. And then the call of ‘illegals’ was shouted out in political circles. Another age of discrimination emerged and now our land is debating afresh what to do about the illegals.

Damn but this is short sighted. And cruel. Over 11 million immigrants may be illegal, that is, not conforming to the entrance procedures. Instead of attempting to correct this matter in a humane manner, rude demands of deportation are sounded. And acted upon. Families are divided making this even more cruel.

This is a political issue more than it is a procedural one. The political pose is still rude and uncaring. It is discrimination pure and simple. The illegal status of many current immigrants have survived decades of living in our nation and building a life, career and family. Uprooting this success is unconscionable. These good people have paid their dues and earned their entry to our nation.

Call it amnesty or call it hospitality, acceptance and correction of their status should be accepted and documented.

If the illegal immigrant is not invested in a career, education, or family, and if that same person has been found guilty of a serious crime (felony), then deportation may be considered. Otherwise, let them remain and add to our company. They should be welcomed.

Because they are welcome!

May 25, 2017