Sure it was, but the immigrants we're descended from took note of the motto, "E Pluribus Unum", and strove to become Americans.
Fewer and fewer new arrivals to America even know or understand the meaning of that phrase, nor do they care to. All they're interested in, are the benefits of living here, and a goodly portion of them have NO interest in assimilating with us.
It doesn't help that liberal 'multi-culturalism' and government policies actually encourage them to remain separate and differentiated from native born Americans and our amazing culture.
These aren't our grandparents' immigrants.
So let’s allow in immigrants that WANT to be American. And not those that want to bring their 3rd world values here.