Thread: In 1900s, immigrants adapted to America

Love such common sense articles.


http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2006/11/1 ... ter001.txt

Letter: In 1900s, immigrants adapted to America
By DALE STEVENS, Charleston

So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants.

Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good-bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. People fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan.

They were defending the United States of America as one people.

Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country’s flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here.

These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.

Now we are in 2006 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country.

I’m sorry, that’s not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900s deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life.

I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

Hey!

My ancestor was born in Texas in 1872 and he didn't speak German. Oh, and his parents and some grandparents immigrated from Germany and they became Naturalized Citizens. His father took the oath of allegiance before his parents were married so they didn't have an anchor baby. They were subjects of William I of Prussia. Oh, and they came to America with money in their pockets. Oh, and most importantly, they were not criminals, they did not steal ID's or forge documents. Also, the rest of my ancestors, pre-dated immigration laws and have been here so long, the paper trail dies, unless I want to spend months on the east coast digging in old church records. Anyway, it's safe to say, the rest of them were in the US before 1780 and some even served in the Revolution, which is the birth of this nation. Don't forget my American Indian ancestors that didn't need any immigration papers.

I'm a legitimate American with legitimate ancestors that immigrated legally and are well documented.

Dixie