"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 man's becoming in very fact 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. "
Old fashioned? Prejudiced? Xenophobic? Regressive? Discrimintory? Exploitive?
I can see some shades of grey irt some things in the above two paragraphs; but on the whole, to me it looks like a policy that has been gone for too long, and should never have been abandoned in the first place. But wait, there is more. Neither the above, nor the following can be quoted too often.
"The man who loves other countries as much as his own stands on a level with the man who loves other women as much as he loves his own wife.
One is as worthless a creature as the other. ....
The professional internationalist is a man who, under a pretense of diffuse
attachment for everybody hides the fact that in reality he is incapable
of doing his duty by anybody."
--- Theodore Roosevelt, The Great Adventure
Newly added on June 13, 2009:
Here are a couple of other articles that may be interesting to some of you.
The first two are nearly the identical, so the interest is in the comments irt to those two (even so, posting the info in the first place was bold and needed and appreciated):
OPERATION WETBACK THE DEPORTATION OF ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!!!!
by Keith C.
Member since: November 3, 2008
"Two Democrats and One Republican - I guess its not a party thing after all.
WHAT DID HOOVER, TRUMAN, and EISENHOWER HAVE IN COMMON?"
by Donald H.
Member since:April 5, 2006
Here is something that should be of great interest for you to pass around. I did npt know of this until it was pointed out to me.
by Sean Kennedy
Member since:January 16, 2006
"IMMIGRATION IS NOT A RIGHT
Like any other sovereign nation, the U.S. has a right to decide who comes across its borders as a visitor, a guest, or an invited resident. Those wishing to come to the U.S., for any reason, do not have a right to be here. That is a privilege, not a right.
Every one of us has the right to take a guest into our home. But no one has the right to come into our home on their own, without our consent and approval. There are no squatter's rights. Getting into the U.S. illegally doesn't give one the right to stay. That's tantamount to believing that although breaking and entering may be illegal, if you can get into someone's home it's okay to stay. It's not. ( ...more)"
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Comments: 26
However, these days it seems some 'immigrants' (even some legal immigrants) hold their country and culture of origin, the country they moved or fled from, in more esteem than they do the country they moved/fled to.
It used to be citizenship was planned for, planted like a prized seedling; nurtured one by one lovingly with care for future root and leaf growth. Instead of spat, unthinkingly without care for the nurture much less the growth of a healthy root system, onto the ground like watermelon seeds at a summer barbecue.
And unfortunately, that attitude seems to be trickling from 'the top' down in our country.
We cannot expect the immigrants to forget their homelands - but when their children are born in Scotland, then they become Scots.
Curt L. Feb 13, 2009, 9:30pm EST
I must agree!
Good words when they were first spoken. Good words all the more today, when our country is under invasion from foreign nations through illegal and excessive legal immigration , and many of "our" elected representitives are complicit in it.
At the very least, the immigrsants who are coming here should adapt to the American culture and thereby become Americans. Unfortunately, with bilingualism, education in foreign countries history, et al wrongs, many immigrants are remaining nationals of their
original country, and have a disregard and disrespect for our language, our culture, and us.
I totally agree.
As I said in one of my comments above, "It used to be (U.S.) citizenship was planned for, planted like a prized seedling; nurtured one by one lovingly with care for future root and leaf growth. Instead of spat, unthinkingly without care for the nurture much less the growth of a healthy root system, onto the ground like watermelon seeds at a summer barbecue."
Unfortunately, with bilingualism, education in foreign countries history, et al wrongs, many immigrants are remaining nationals of their
original country, and have a disregard and disrespect for our language, our culture, and us.
Robert F. protectionist , Feb 14, 2009, 4:27pm EST
But here is what I was getting at with my examples of a "prized seedling citizenship" vs "watermelon seed citizenship".
Let's say I left the U.S. to live in France. Never happen, but let's just say. I'm leaving for a better life and to make a more stable home for my children where they will have more opportunities in life than they would have in the U.S. Again, let's just say that.
Which is better? For me to go to France illegally (or legally) with a chip on my shoulder expecting the French to learn English, and to celebrate my holidays, and to change all their signs and street names to reflect my language, heritage, and cultural heroes? Is it better, for me to go there with a chip on my shoulder whining that I can't read the voter ballot cause it's not in English (nevermind I can't really understand the politicians anyway and would likely have to be told who to vote for even if the ballot was in English etc).
[[The above would coincide with my example about the watermelon seeds. Treating citizenship and actual blending and belonging and accepting my new country as if it was nothing, even while demanding to be treated on an equal footing with the actual citizens of France ... Not treating French citizenship or belonging in France as a precious privilege, but as a something hollow, unimportant, even contemptible, used as a bridge to something else; something to be tossed away like garbage or spat out like watermelon seeds to sprout or not sprout.]]
Or would it be better for me and my family to go there totally legally, following all of their laws and rules, gratefully and with full expectation of blending in with the culture I have chosen to move my family into; better to start learning the language and the history ...make sure I have a skill and a job to go to so I will not be drain on whatever social services are offered there. Send my children to the schools aready there, if I fly any flag I fly the flag of my new country; if I want to fly the flag of my country of origin ... I fly it as well but either separately or below my adopted country's. Etc etc.
[[The above would be an example of me treating France, the French government, the privilege of French citizenship... an example of me treating what France was allowing me to do as a precious seedling that could yield the harvest of a better life for me and my children]]
In other words would it be better for me to start learning to love the country I'm moving to for what it is, rather than going with the idea of changing my new country into what I left behind?
We cannot expect the immigrants to forget their homelands -
Ishbel R., Feb 13, 2009, 2:27pm EST
You cannot blame ALL immigrants for the fact that SOME do not wish to be considered one of 'us' (wherever that 'us' may be). Most, truth to tell, are only here to make money to send 'home' - and who usually start the adventure by thinking it will be for a finite time, eg until their kids are educated, until they themselves retire etc... Then they find themselves trapped 'here' (WHMB) by the fact that their children's futures are 'here', not 'there'.
It is not a situation with any type of simplistic answer - unfortunately.
"You cannot blame ALL immigrants for the fact that SOME do not wish to be considered one of 'us' (wherever that 'us' may be). "
Ishbel R., Feb 17, 2009, 4:29am EST
But ... it's our fault if foreigners feel sidelined and marginalised? I'm not sure I get what you mean here.
But if by foreigners you mean legal immigrants ... familiarity with us and U.S. culture will eventually help them feel less sidelined and marginalized; IF they are blending, integrating, englishing, culturizing etc. If you mean new citizens; same answer. It takes time. And most Americans are more than happy to help and accept and encourage legal immigrants and new citizens +shrug+
If you mean illegal aliens who have emigrated here ... they absolutely should feel marginalized; they should *be* marginalized. At the very least they should be a bit more marginalized than actual citizens in any case (instead of the other way around).
". . .but you cannot change human nature and in many cases it is OUR FAULT if the foreigners feel sidelined and marginalised - and our fault that we often make changes in OUR LAWS to make the foreign immigrants feel included."
Ishbel R., Feb 17, 2009, 4:29am EST
I think I get what you mean ... And I'm pretty sure we are not on totally opposite ends of this issue?
Still, what I said irt immigrants etc can be applicable anywhere in the world. If one emigrates from one country to another whether to escape famine, to escape persecution, or simply for better opportunities ... one should "become Scots" ... "become French" ... "become Russian" ... "become American" ... instead of what some do in trying to change their new country into the old country. If you see what I mean?
Is that clearer? Or am I still not understanding what you are getting at?
It's just like the old saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".
Robert F. protectionist , Feb 19, 2009, 9:44am EST
When asked which land she pefers she provided simple and wise answer :
Homeland is my mother, newland is may father, I love them both from the bottom of my heart, and am ready to die for them.
Just came by to remark and thank you, for remarking on many of my pictures ::)
and I like your unusual looking cat too ::)
Glad you came by. :) And I'm glad my kitty cat made a favorable impression.
I didn't post this with a "what they might do" attitude. Some legal immigrants, and more eggregiously many illegals already seem to think we are an extension of their homeland, whatever that may be. We are not.
I am espceially concerned about illegals of all backgrounds coming from Mexico. Mexican illegals in particular since they seem to be in the majority. If we can ever muster the backbone to take care of the majority (voter ID, border fence and surveillance, employer fines, and more support for our Border Patrol toops), the minority will get the point.
I was kindof iffy before, but when I watched that exhibition by illegals in 2004 carrying signs, protesting in support of full rights as Americans ...
I realized there was a much bigger problem than any of us had wanted to admit or were aware of.
Illegals, waving the Mexican flag ... carrying protest signs in Spanish -that was funny actually - marching for full rights in the US and can't even speak or write English -- snide? yeah. Sorry ...
I know it's snide but I felt snide about it. Validly snide? I think so.
Whining loudly about amnistía... Those and other illegals were who I was referring to when I wrote this article.
"BUT this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American [it's semantics but let's just insert U.S. Citizen here] , and nothing but an American [a U.S. citizen] ...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American [a U.S. citizen] , but something else also, isn't an American [a U.S. citizen] at all (at heart). We have room for but one flag, the American flag [the U.S. 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 [to the people of the United States of America] ".
And those who are of the mind that the United States is still part of Mexico ... that La Raza will never be defeated, that they along with so many more deserve and have a right to everything citizens have rights to even though they aren't citizens either in truth or in heart... Well, they don't belong here.
Until they can become "in very fact an American ... a U.S. citizen." etc etc
Oh, and also Barack Obama vaguely in the back of my mind.
James B. Mar 23, 2009, 2:12am EDT
Well, the biggest disaster for this country in recent years was that all-American idiot George W. Bush, so maybe we should be more concerned with what people do, or have done, than what they might do. IMHO. Thanks for all of your comments. Sorry we keep butting heads on some thorny issues.
James ...
Btw... no problem about the head butting. Got on my helmet.
Generally though I don't feel I've needed it irt what you say. :)
There ya go!
Renita P. Mar 26, 2009, 8:15pm EDT
If I were to choose to live in another country, I would do my best to live as they live - speak their language, accept their standard of living and not expect them to learn my language or teach in my language, etc
That it ignored some cannot be denied but overall, the model has been too successful to be dismissed as we seem to be doing today.