Immigrants Can Be Our Greatest Patriots

The people who risk death by drowning or suffocation to get here truly exemplify the words of Emma Lazarus, who wrote, if memory serves "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free...I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door." That poem is inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty for a reason. We all need to do more to enable such brave, freedom-loving dedicated people to live and work among us. People like me, whose ancestors came here long ago, can become complacent. (I trace my earliest heritage to the Mayflower, and, through my stepfather, to another early ship--the one that brought slaves to Virginia; one of my stepfather's ancestors worked in bondage, then freedom, at Mount Vernon, and knew the great George Washington.)

This is not to say that every person who crosses our borders is immediately entitled to full social benefits. No. There must be some evidence that the new arrival is willing to work hard and to learn our language and history--to become a future patriot. Such a person is "true immigrant," to use the term of Rabbi Lapin of Toward Tradition - not just a foreigner seeking a free ride in life.

Now let's look at our own patriotism. Can those of us who have lived here for centuries honestly say that we have this trait? Many immigrants do! Let's all do what we can to make hard-working, motivated immigrants feel welcome and learn our rich history. Let's also have compassion and generosity for the states where immigration is heaviest, such as California.

Note: Again, I am not talking about government entitlements. There are some things the government can do without cost. For example, the U.S. Dept. of Immigration could endorse a policy of courtesy toward applicants for citizenship. When helping an immigrant who had lived here legally for many years, I noticed that the immigration clerks tended to be haughty and rude to people applying for U.S. citizenship--even when those applicants have years of legal residency and had just waited in line for hours.

How can we encourage patriotism? I've seen groups give out copies of the U.S. Bill of Rights and Constitution to those applying for citizenship. Now that's a great idea. I'll try to find the link.

Stay tuned for more on what we can do as citizens to help our future Patriots - new, true immigrants.
For those of a compassionate heart, see also: http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/printer/printer_learn_about_justice.html