Thread: Immigrants need to embrace U.S. culture

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Immigrants need to embrace U.S. culture

J.D. Hayworth
U.S. CONGRESSMAN
Jan. 29, 2006 12:00 AM

Assimilation is the key to any successful immigration policy, and no country has succeeded in assimilating immigrants as well as the United States. Turning immigrants into Americans didn't happen by accident but was the result of a comprehensive national effort called Americanization.

Sadly, Americanization has given way to an insidious multiculturalism. In the mid-1980s, the late Alistair Cooke, himself an immigrant, lamented the "general movement in the United States to unmelt the melting pot, to break down the goulash of the pot into its ethnic ingredients: to return, in short, to the immigrant compounds which Teddy Roosevelt was determined to fuse into one nation."

With each passing day America is becoming more divided by ethnicity, race, language and income, a situation only exacerbated by illegal immigration. We all had a good laugh when Al Gore mangled the translation of E pluribus unum. "Out of one, many," he goofed. But maybe he was just ahead of his time.

Hispanic immigrants have a harder time assimilating than other groups largely because the flood of illegal immigrants reinforces cultural and linguistic connections to "the old country." It doesn't help that they are force-fed a steady diet of multiculturalism and told by their own community leaders and our own anti-American elites that America is racist, sexist, intolerant and genocidal. And make no mistake, multiculturalism is the enemy of assimilation, and it can have devastating consequences, as we saw with riots outside Paris and the subway bombers in London.

Mark Steyn explains: "The London bombers were, to the naked eye, assimilated. They ate fish 'n' chips, played cricket, sported appalling leisurewear. They'd adopted so many trees we couldn't see they lacked the big overarching forest, the essence of identity, of allegiance. As I've said before, you can't assimilate with a nullity, which is what multiculturalism is."

The Islamists who rioted outside Paris last year weren't merely "disadvantaged youths" demanding more welfare. They were demanding that parts of France be recognized as Islamic territory and that French law be replaced by Islamic law, or sharia. They chanted "Allahou akhbar" while torching cars. They were not and are not interested in accommodation with French society; they want to bury it. France isn't alone; other Western Europe countries that welcomed large numbers of Muslim immigrants without demanding that they assimilate are in the same boat. Tragically, it is too late to do anything about it now.

As Dyab Abou Jahjah, leader of the Brussels-based Arab League says: "We reject integration when it leads to assimilation. I don't believe in a host country. We are at home here, and whatever we consider our culture to be also belongs to our chosen country. I'm in my country, not the country of the Westerners."

In his book The West's Last Chance, Tony Blankley quotes an equally belligerent radical German Islamist who declares: "Germany is an Islamic country. Islam is in the home, in schools. Germans will be outnumbered. We (Muslims) will say what we want. We'll live how we want. It's outrageous that Germans demand we speak their language. Our children will have our language, our laws, our culture."

How different are these radical Islamists from the Mexican politicians who push for a Mexico without borders and undermine our efforts at assimilation? From the multi-culti elites who oppose English-language education? Or from the radical left-wingers preaching "reconquista?" Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, declared in 1997 that changing demographics in the United States means it's only a matter of time before "we shall overwhelm!" What makes his statement any less provocative than the radical Islamists quoted above?

Over three decades ago, Nathan Glazer and Daniel Patrick Moynihan asked, "To what does one assimilate in modern America?" In Henry Ford's day, we had a great big list of things. But if multiculturalism and diversity are valued above all else, the answer is you can assimilate however you want, or not at all. It's up to you. In France, they have a minister of social cohesion. How long before we need one here?

Assimilation - and by that I mean Americanization in the early 20th-century sense of immersing immigrants in English, American patriotism and traditional American values - was good for immigrants and good for America. It cannot be replaced by the multicultural whim of the day. Citizenship is serious business, and we need to start treating it as such. We can begin by making English the official language of the United States. As Teddy Roosevelt said, "We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans."

Ironically, among the biggest supporters of acculturation and learning English are earlier Hispanic immigrants who successfully assimilated. They embrace their Americanism while still holding onto their roots. They understand that English is the language of success. They are appalled at Spanish-language advocates who believe that speaking English somehow insults their Hispanic ethnic identity.

A fascinating story in The Arizona Republic illustrates the growing gulf between assimilated Hispanics and unassimilated newcomers in a central Phoenix neighborhood. A community action officer with the Phoenix police says: "(Longtime Hispanic residents) feel like the neighborhood is being overrun by immigrants. . . . A lot of them are not happy with the way their neighborhood has changed." Meanwhile, the immigrants complain that assimilated Hispanics "have betrayed their country by speaking English and not celebrating the Mexican holidays." Said one: "Our Mexican-Americans are even racist against our own people." Doesn't that just about say it all?

Let me end with a letter from a constituent, a World War II veteran and member of what Tom Brokaw termed the "Greatest Generation."

He wrote: "Unrestricted immigration is destroying our sovereignty, our American culture, our traditions and our unity as united states. We are a nation of immigrants and descendant's of immigrants. The flame under our 'melting pot' has gone out and our country's invasion by illegal immigrants is overwhelming assimilation. If our porous borders are not closed and all illegals deported, we shall fracture as a united nation geographically. We will always have immigration, but it must be legal and strictly regulated."

To the multi-culti elites, that American hero is a bigot. To me, he is a patriot. I'm working to ensure his views, which are the views of an overwhelming majority of Americans, break through the walls of silence in Congress, where the issue of America's dissolving borders needs urgent action before we lose the country that the Greatest Generation fought to defend.

J.D. Hayworth, a Republican, represents Arizona's 5th Congressional District This column is adapted from his new book, "Whatever It Takes.'

Excellent article Brian!

Ironically, among the biggest supporters of acculturation and learning English are earlier Hispanic immigrants who successfully assimilated. They embrace their Americanism while still holding onto their roots. They understand that English is the language of success. They are appalled at Spanish-language advocates who believe that speaking English somehow insults their Hispanic ethnic identity

This is so true. I can remember a time in the 19-50'1970's when nearly all of the "Mexican-American" families refused to be referred to as anything other than AMERICANS and they refused to speak anything other than English in public. They truly were hard working, honest, and extremely patriotic. These were the families whose sons always were first in line to volunter for military service and so willing to put their lives on the line for this country, whether they were born here or immigrated.

Congressman Hayworth is right on point with this article. It should be required reading for all his collegues in Congress, including the Senate, and definately at the White House.