The Immigration Dilemma in the United States and American
Roots
The United States of America was born as a result of the
blood sweat and tears of former immigrants who sought out a new land. When the
first ‘Americans’ set foot on the new land, the natives occupying the land were
the only ‘non’ immigrants, everyone else came from England, different countries
in Europe, from forced capture from Africa, and from almost every land in the
world, so by the year 2014, America is a true melting pot of nations and
cultures. The problem with immigration is not so much that there are immigrants
still seeking out American soil, the problem is with keeping legal order so
that the borders are not flooded with undocumented immigrants who have no legal
right to be here. The U.S. has to keep order, or else situations like the case
of hundreds of children being placed at risk crossing the desert and vulnerable
to the whim of criminals, will become the new norm.
The immigration situation is filled with complications .Many
the children that are currently detained by the United States , were running away from dangerous situations and could face death if
returned to their native soil; thus placing the U.S. in a no-win situation. The
human thing to do is to protect the children by not returning them to ‘certain
death’ as O’Malley stated:
The legal thing to do is to honor American legislation
involving immigration, and send the children back. Some believe the children
should not be here at all and are protesting their arrival, and some are
protesting the possible deportation of these illegal immigrants. What to do?
Stick to the law or act humanely? The question is no longer a practice in
rhetoric, the question has to be answered immediately because the problem is
here and now.
Arizona Immigrant Children:
It may be wise to reflect upon the roots of American origins
before making a hasty decision, for example there were many icons that became
American legends, who were first immigrants before they became American
citizens. Many have contributed richness to our culture, and some have directly
changed politics, science and law.
Famous American Immigrants
Fred Astaire’s father, Frederic Austerlitz (the last name
Astaire was an attempt to Americanize the last name Austerlitz), arrived in
American via Ellis Island in 1892).
Albert Einstein was born in Germany in 1879 and arrived in
the United States just as Hitler came to power and began his campaign against
Jews; Einstein was visiting in the U.S. and decided not to return to Germany,
since he was Jewish and would have surely become a target of the Nazi regime. It
was after Einstein made the decision not to return to Germany that he
discovered his name was on a Nazi ‘hit’ list. Einstein became an American
citizen in 1940.Einstein revolutionized the world of physics with his
clarification of the
relationship between energy and matter, E=MC2
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
the former governor of California, was born in Austria and came to the United
States as a body builder in 1921. Schwarzenegger was considered the most famous
immigrant in America. Schwarzenegger became a U.S. citizen in 1983.
To name a
few more famous U.S. immigrants: Henry Kissinger, Sophia Loren, and Yao Ming
The White House Immigration Reform Plan: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration
