Toward Something American the Immigrant Soul

In the short story “Toward Something American the Immigrant Soul,” author Peter Marin discusses how immigrants feel coming to live in America. Immigrants coming to a new country, basically a new world to them, feel misplaced. We as Americans see immigrants struggle on an everyday basis, not realizing that we do the same. We are the same, just from different parts of the world. Americans have this sense that people from other countries are not as we are. Immigrants see America has being a free country, a place to become you. “Home” is for us, as it is for all immigrants, something to be regained, created, discovered, or mourned-not where we are in time or space, but where we dream of being.
It is sad to think that we as Americans treat others that come into our country with disrespect because of their nationality. They are human beings just like we are. Their lives are no different than ours, at least in my eyes they aren’t. Sure everyone does things differently from other countries but, so do we. We all dress, eat, sleep, etc., there is not a thing different from any of those. If you look at where your family comes from you more than likely would have other nationalities in your heritage. So, what gives us the right to treat immigrants differently, like they are not wanted in our country?
These men and women who bring their families to America are looking for a better life, more so for their children. They work harder than most Americans do. The men will work for minimum wage just to put food on the table. We as Americans look at immigrants as if they have come into our country and are taking away from us. I have looked at it that way before, but I don’t anymore. I do believe they need to learn our language. I don’t think it is fair to the children that come to America and have no clue how to speak English. Then again, maybe we should learn to speak their language. What is so wrong for others to want to come to America to be free? If you look at their