Immigration: Should America Close It's Golden Doors
Immigration: Should America close its Golden Doors?
America has, is, and will always be a nation of immigrants: the great melting pot. In the years that have passed since Emma Lazarus’ poem was inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, “the golden door” has seen times when it was open wide and times when it was closed shut to almost all immigrants; what really is an American anyway? An American is someone who loves their country and the people in it, and believes in bettering their own lives as well as the lives of those around them. Does it really matter that these individuals may be of German or Chinese descent? Their ethnic background does not have anything to do with their being American. To say that the majority of people in the United States have some sort of tie with an ethnic background from a different country would be a safe assumption. This is what makes our American Culture unique. Immigrants bring to our country strong family structures and strong morals. Foreigners also help our economy prosper. If this great country was forged and built by immigrants passing through “the golden door,” then how can this same country turn away new immigrants?
Immigrants are what help make America what it is today by being a multicultural society standing united.
A lack of jobs is a major concern for most Americans. Will there be enough jobs for everyone? Can our economy support its own citizens, immigrants, and illegal aliens? The working poor are concerned that illegal immigrants may be holding down wages and taking the few unskilled jobs that are available in some areas (Kirschten 16). These are legitimate fears that call into question the government’s ability to regulate immigration. Tax paying citizens are also concerned that the tax dollars they pay each year are being used to help educate illegal immigrants and not those who are rightfully living in this country (Amselle 60). When there is a large population of immigrants in an area, citizens tend to
America has, is, and will always be a nation of immigrants: the great melting pot. In the years that have passed since Emma Lazarus’ poem was inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, “the golden door” has seen times when it was open wide and times when it was closed shut to almost all immigrants; what really is an American anyway? An American is someone who loves their country and the people in it, and believes in bettering their own lives as well as the lives of those around them. Does it really matter that these individuals may be of German or Chinese descent? Their ethnic background does not have anything to do with their being American. To say that the majority of people in the United States have some sort of tie with an ethnic background from a different country would be a safe assumption. This is what makes our American Culture unique. Immigrants bring to our country strong family structures and strong morals. Foreigners also help our economy prosper. If this great country was forged and built by immigrants passing through “the golden door,” then how can this same country turn away new immigrants?
Immigrants are what help make America what it is today by being a multicultural society standing united.
A lack of jobs is a major concern for most Americans. Will there be enough jobs for everyone? Can our economy support its own citizens, immigrants, and illegal aliens? The working poor are concerned that illegal immigrants may be holding down wages and taking the few unskilled jobs that are available in some areas (Kirschten 16). These are legitimate fears that call into question the government’s ability to regulate immigration. Tax paying citizens are also concerned that the tax dollars they pay each year are being used to help educate illegal immigrants and not those who are rightfully living in this country (Amselle 60). When there is a large population of immigrants in an area, citizens tend to
Cited: Amselle, Jorge. “Immigrants: Helping or Harming the U.S.?.” The World & I 10 (1995): 60. Bean, Frank D., Barry Edmonston, and Jefferey S. Passel. Undocumented Migration to the United States:IRCA and the Experience of the 1980’s.Washington: The Urban Institute Press, 1990. Briggs, Vernon M., Jr. Mass Immigration and the National Interest. 2nd ed. Armonk: Sharpe, 1996. Castro, Max J. Free Markets, Open Societies, Closed Borders? Trends in International Migration and Immigration Policy in the Americas. Coral Gables: North-South Center, 1999. Divine, Robert A. American Immigration Policy, 1924-1952. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1957. “ “Immigration Enforcement Improvements Act of 1995”:FAct Sheet”. ‘Lectric Law Library. 9 Nov. 1999 *http://lectlaw.com/files/imm05.htm* Kirschten, Dick. “Supply and Demand.” Government Executive 31 (May 1999): 16. Marley, Bruce Robert. “Exiling the new felons:The consequences of the retroactive application of aggravated felony convictions to lawful permanent residents.” San Diego Law Review 35 (1998 Summer): 855-895. Mont, Daniel. “Welfare and Immigrants.” Migration World 6 (1996): 8-20. Suro, Robert. Watching America’s Door: The Immigration Backlash and the New Policy Debate. New York: The Twentieth Century Fund Press, 1996. “United States;The Next Masses.” Economist 1 May 1999: 26-28. U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Strategic Plan: Toward INS 2000: Accepting the Challenge.