Thread: TN SENATOR ALEXANDER FOCUSING ON AMERICANS

Notice the mention of La Raza - everywhere we turn - call our senators and representatives and tell them no funding to this pro-illegal alien, give them all amnesty group

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Article published Jul 1, 2007

Alexander strives for focus on Americans

Critics claim fear of multiculturalism

By BILL THEOBALD
Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON — For Sen. Lamar Alexander, this past week's raucous Senate debate about building more fences, hiring more border patrol agents and creating new visas was yet another opportunity to push legislation he believes addresses the fundamental question underlying the immigration debate:

What does it mean to be an American?

In his first major speech on the Senate floor in March 2003 and every year since, Alexander has offered numerous legislative proposals encouraging the new wave of immigrants flooding our country to transform themselves from Mexicans, El Salvadorans and Vietnamese into Americans.

"People fear we are losing our national identity," the Tennessee Republican said of the motive behind his focus on the subject.

"We have more pluribus and not enough unum," Alexander said last week as the immigration debate raged on the Senate floor. He was referring the national motto, "E Pluribus Unum" — out of many, one.

Pro-immigration groups mostly applaud Alexander's efforts, if not all the specifics of his proposed methods. But they, along with historians, wonder whether his ideas reflect a desire to retreat from today's multicultural world. And groups such as the National Council of La Raza say America has successfully navigated these transformation periods before.

This year's legislative package championed by Alexander, and co-sponsored by Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thad Cochran of Mississippi, includes grants for learning English and creating an Office of Citizenship to promote American ideals. He offered them as a separate bill and as an amendment to the immigration reform legislation that died Thursday. Alexander voted against the immigration legislation.

Alexander has been joined by such luminaries as Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in efforts to designate English the country's official language and mandate that the Pledge of Allegiance be spoken only in English. On Thursday, he amended a spending bill to ban the federal government from suing companies that require employees to speak English.

"We give him an 'A' for effort," said Raul Gonzalez, legislative director for the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic advocacy group in the country.

But Gonzalez said the group does not favor, for instance, codifying English as the national language because most new immigrants want to and do learn English already.

And he's puzzled by Alexander's fears that Americans focus too much on multiculturalism — signified to some by the waving of Mexican and Central American flags at immigrant rallies.

"Is he going to ask the same of an Irish person who attends a St. Patrick's Day parade?" Gonzalez said.

Alexander believes this wave of immigration is different than previous ones because so many immigrants are in the country illegally. And, he said, "the idea of a national identity has fallen out of favor in elite circles."

In addition, he said, the country is more diverse than ever, and Americans are much more citizens of a global world.

History Professor Gary Gerstle at Vanderbilt University said his analysis of how previous immigrant groups transformed themselves into Americans leaves him more optimistic than Alexander.

For one, Gerstle said, the percentage of Hispanic immigrant children who speak English as well as their native tongue is similar to the percentage of earlier immigrant children who were bilingual. And he told the Senate Judiciary Committee in May that the percentage of immigrant children who speak only English is high enough that some are concerned they are losing touch with their heritage.

Regarding diversity, Gerstle believes the "hard" multiculturalism of the 1960s, which focused on the separation of different peoples, has been replaced by a "soft" multiculturalism that celebrates diversity while also affirming American values.

Erika Lee, an associate professor of history at the University of Minnesota who is also affiliated with the school's Immigration History Research Center, has a similar view.

"I would think that in today's multicultural and global society, there is room for many types of 'Americans,' and that monolithic definitions based on English language competency, knowledge of a certain type of American history, etc. belong back in history," Lee wrote in response to questions.

Both historians and Gonzalez of La Raza believe that the powerful forces of American culture and political participation will once again transform this group of immigrants into Americans.

"We are at the midpoint in this story," Gerstle said.

But Alexander thinks some nudges are needed for the story to have a happy American ending.

"The whole idea of what it means to be an American is at stake here," Alexander said.

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ALEXANDER'S LEGISLATION ON THE NET
Sen. Lamar Alexander this year introduced the "Strengthening Americans Citizenship Act of 2007." Provisions include:

$500 grants for people to learn English.
Putting into law the Oath of Allegiance new citizens must take.
Moving up by one year the naturalization process for anyone who learns English.
Providing grants to groups that promote "patriotic integration of prospective citizens into the American way of life."
Creating an Office of Citizenship to promote these ideas.


National Council of La Raza: www.nclr.org.
Sen. Lamar Alexander: http://alexander.senate.gov.

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http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pb ... /707010349

And he's puzzled by Alexander's fears that Americans focus too much on multiculturalism — signified to some by the waving of Mexican and Central American flags at immigrant rallies.

"Is he going to ask the same of an Irish person who attends a St. Patrick's Day parade?" Gonzalez said.

Look, you wingnut, one is a day of "celebration" and the other was a day of "PROTEST".......major difference there. I don't think anyone would have mentioned anything about Mexican flag waving on Cinco Demayo. St. Patty's Day isn't a "day of protest" against the government and it's people.

Alexander believes this wave of immigration is different than previous ones because so many immigrants are in the country illegally. And, he said, "the idea of a national identity has fallen out of favor in elite circles."

HELLO ......IT'S DIFFERENT ALRIGHT....THEY ARE ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS...
.HELLO


"national identity has fallen out of favor in elite circles."
I WONDER WHY? COULD IT BE MONEY TRUMPTS EVERYTHING??