What ever happened to "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."

CookingWithCarlo.com ^ | 01/11/2004 | Carlo3b Dad, Chef, Author

[carlo3b]

 
IMMIGRATION INDIGNATION, holy smoke! DID YOU SEE WHAT I SAW?

What ever happened to  "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."

They came here for several centuries for the same reasons – freedom and hope -- and then a Frenchman created a statue that embodied their hopes and dreams. And it embodied America's promise as well. "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

I have been watching with a bit of sadness, and more than a little concern, the debate that has been raging over President Bush's Administration proposed guest worker program. I haven't seen anything definitive yet, but I have to admit that I have some uneasiness about what is being said, and what may be done.

First and foremost, I do not wish to trivialize the genuine fear and the authentic concern that most of the protesters of the proposal have expressed. Nor do I disagree with the legitimate anxiety over what the future may hold if this proposal is actually what is being portrayed, "a blanket amnesty for illegal aliens". That being the case there would be in fact, national as well as historical principles at stake, and we must be ever vigilant in the protection of our liberties as well as our sovereignty.

"Principles have no real force except when one is well-fed."
-Mark Twain

Immigration is now and always has been a tricky affair. The delicate balance of need and want, verses can and should. We can certainly understand someone living in desperate conditions wanting to improving their lot in life. What better place to do it than the greatest nation on earth. America is the envy of the world. We are a magnet, and a beacon.

Who wouldn't choose to be free, unless as is the case in too many places, they are incapable of understanding the reality of freedom. Who wouldn't want to have wealth, if we all agreed on what wealth really is. To someone without anything to feed themselves or their children, a neighbor possessing a sack of flour, is indeed wealthy.

To a nation of plenty, it has to be understandable that a desperate and starving parent wouldn't break down a door, or cross a sweltering desert to feed their child, or a family would risk their lives in a sealed boxcar to work for a steady meal.

I must admit, and state for the record, that as a policy, I firmly believe that all law breaking must be prevented, and law breakers should be punished.. the sooner the better.

That said, I may be a candidate for a flogging I might be at most a fugitive from justice, or at the very least a shameful hypocrite, because I have in the past, and without a moment of indecision would again, give employment to someone I suspect but cannot prove, may be an undocumented worker, ..yes, AN ILLEGAL ALIEN!

I have experience with this issue.. up close and very personal...

I AM A PRODUCT OF FORMER ILLEGAL ALIENS.. Thank God.

As a young boy, I watched as my 92 year old great Grandfather, an immigrant from the bowels of depravity in Italy, as he stood in a crowded church basement and took an oath, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance to his beloved country to finally become a citizen of the United States Of America. For him, becoming a real member of this wonderful country was the culmination of a lifetime of work, and struggle and hope, and prayers.

My great Grandfather, his aged body bent from years of hard work, managed to stand tall as he listened closely to my uncle, who whispered in his ear, everything that was said from the podium. In those days, hopeful immigrants had to study and be tested to prove they knew enough about this country, and it's founding, history and government, to be qualified to contribute to it's greatness.

He had done his homework, and he didn't want to miss a word.

It was that day, in the cold damp basement, in a soft grainy light, walls decorated with flags, and with his fine and honorable family looking on, he and a large group gathered to prove that they were worthy patriots. That day this proud man who had overcome language, illiteracy and poverty, was at last to be rewarded, he was finally a real American.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, he broke down and cried for the first and only time I ever remember in his long and distinguished life. At that moment,  I remember thinking, it must be special to be an American.

Yes, my family crossed a border from Canada into the United States in the dead of night in hopes of securing a better life for their children. They suffered the pain of fear, poverty and ridicule to take a chance. What was being said throughout the world, was true, America was and still is a nation of opportunity.

I do hear the call of fears and doubt of my fellow Americans, and I share the pain when my neighbors hurt as a nation. There is real worry about the costs and loss of jobs. There are legitimate concerns about lawlessness, and precedent of the apparent "reward the lawbreakers", at the expense of the law-abiding and innocent.

"A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort."
-Sydney Smith

I know we cannot be the world policemen, or pantry. We are a mighty nation built upon a foundation of hard work and sacrifice. Much of that labor was done by immigrants, many of which were here illegally not by choice but by necessity. Many, as my family, didn't do it as a thief, but as poor frightened peasants, who came without documentation because the limits on Italians were reached, and they couldn't afford to wait until the bureaucracy opened the doors again.

Upon arrival, frightened and stranded in a strange place without money, friends or family, they did the unthinkable, they prayed and began working until they were safe, solid and accepted.  They raised a family that contributed and their offspring went to war, and they became solid threads in the fabric of their chosen country. There were a few that gave my folks a boost, a chance, a lifeline until they were secure.

So now the dirty laundry, I did the same for others, but I am apparently not alone. This isn't a unique thought to bend the some rules to help those who need help when the need is the greatest.

History is replete with law breakers that did what turned out to be a blessing. There has always been a few that took the law into their own hands when it seemed that was the only way. Moses, was spared by a benevolent stranger. Thank God a man named Schindler broke the laws to save a few hundred Jews from the Nazi's and where would we be if the Underground Railroad was derailed, because it was against the law to save a slave.

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances - to choose one's own way."
-Victor Frankl

The overwhelming numbers of our newest immigrants aren't fleeing death, or slavery, and I am not Schindler, but I could see the desperation in their eyes and feel the need in their hearts. And what was I offering? A job, and friendship. A job that few Americans wanted, and friendship that has lasted decades.

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."
-Nelson Henderson

There are jobs that nobody wants and few would do, unless they had no other choice, a situation which rarely arises in our country.  But they are good jobs that need to be done. By and large these jobs are hard, thankless, dirty, repetitive jobs, at odds with a normal schedule. However, they are at the limits of those that need them.

Contrary to popular belief, almost no large companies would ever pay cash to save a few dollars, or underpay wages to a poor man because he is illegal. We never paid under the table, or less than the going rate because we were a well known company, and a scandal of that pettiness, would have harmed everyone, including hundreds of employees, almost all homegrown Americans.

  "Something that has always puzzled me all my life is why, when I am in special need of help, the good deed is usually done by somebody on whom I have no claim."
-William Feather, The Business of Life

Lest you think it was all one sided, these workers were solid as a rock, and usually faithful as a clock. The work ethic in other countries is as it was in much earlier times in our history. The bottom line is they needed us, and we needed them. They stayed with me and climbed the ladder in the all American tradition, and I watched them with pride, and admiration.

For those that are really concerned about these poor people taking the bread out of your mouth, unless you are a pot scrubber, or a garlic picker, you are at little risk.. And to ease your mind, I have discovered a new money making venture, one that has a fabulous track record. This one has recent and past history has never failed to pay-off. It's remarkable in it's simplicity!

Here it is... bet against the fatalist, place all of your available milk money on the person needing something, and against the person wanting to keep it from him.. in short, betting against profits of doom.

Bet the farm, or the futon, that the screams are always louder during an election year, and the spin is more spit than polish. Just like the generations that preceded us the Italians, Irish, Germans, Haitians and Vietnamese, these folks will continue to be a blessing to our country. Take a deep breath and think about it without the shrill voices whispering apocalyptic threats.

Before you make your final decision on this matter, ask yourself a simple question. What would you do if you were in their place, but first, take a long look around your home, in you fridge and in your pantry.. and just for an added effect, and take an extra moment thinking of your children. Perhaps, you'll come away with a slightly different outlook.  Then again, maybe not.. you have that right, my once removed, illegal uncles and a lot of others died for your right to be wrong..

I am proud of our President, he knew there would be anger and once again he faced the problem head on. Dealing with this now is going to save us all in the long run, and as to the near future.. remember we are free Americans thanks to our immigrant forefathers, and some day as in the past, these new Americans may well save you and your country...

  "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."
-Abraham Lincoln

"One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency."
-Arnold Glasgow

GOD BLESS AMERICA

[johnb838]

"Principles have no real force except when one is well-fed."
-Mark Twain

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances - to choose one's own way."
-Victor Frankl

How do you reconcile these two high-sounding statements? Whisch is true?

[Petruchio]

For those that are really concerned about these poor people taking the bread out of your mouth, unless you are a pot scrubber, or a garlic picker, you are at little risk..

Tell that to my brother. He has been in construction trades for 30 years and can no longer find work because the illegals have taken it over. Carpenters do not equal garlic pickers!

[NittanyLion]

Sorry to disappoint, but they will never be enacted. Look how long it's taken to even recognize there's a problem. The catalyst was 9/11. It's the Bush Plan, or no action at all because the alternatives are too costly, in terms of dollars or votes.

Simply not true.

[johnb838]

The politics,language, and flag you left behind to come here belong to the country you left behind. English is spoken here.

I'm not sure this is necessarily true. In the old "Germantowns" and "Little Italys" the old culture continued to be significant. It was usually the children or grandchildren who became fully Americanized. In my case, my Grandfather was born 16 years after his father emigrated. Lots of times the original immigrant may never have learned the new language well, if at all. But with European immigration as well as Asian, they had to come in ships, which meant they had to walk down gangplanks. Which meant they could be met by a cheery immigration official. And they could also be sent back if they had an infectious disease. It is the fact that the Mexican immigration thus far seems to be so far out of our control that bothers me the most. Also, the fact that these people often don't have any papers troubles me a lot. We need to know who these opeople are.

[stanz]

I'd rather outsource some jobs than import workers from places that have no common ground with the US, and who -- alas -- probably will never assimilate.

I agree. Immigration per se, with respect to those who applied legally, became familiar with American customs and culture, and arrived here with some desire to become a part of the mainstream culture and work toward a personal goal is to respected. What I take issue with are those who come here with outstretched palms expecting every kind of financial aid the goverment gladly doles out and then refuse to learn English or incorporate themselves into American society.

Did you ever stand on line at a local supermarket where virtually everyone pays for their groceries with food stamps and then leave with overloaded shopping carts. Or how about sitting in a doctors' office when everyone presents medicaid cards for payment, but yet they can't speak a word of English? And my biggest gripe....nice college tuition handouts for those students who barely just arrived in this country while other kids, born and raised here must resort to Federal loans. It'a all very unfair.

[Let's Roll]

Thanks, was about to point that out myself. If one is going to use Ms. Lazarus' beautiful words to defend a tidal wave of illegal immigration, the least that should be expected is to get it right.

[1rudeboy]

He has been in construction trades for 30 years and can no longer find work because the illegals have taken it over.

He should move to the greater Chicago metro area. There is so much construction work that contractors are turning down jobs.

[dawn53]

Good point. I hear folks say, "the illegals could, do it legally." But in reality they can't.

My husband did it legally, he's Canadian, and was employed by an American company, so he finally got a green card. Then he used his years in residence here (5 is the requirement, I think, ) and he could apply for citizenship.

But if you'll follow the links on this page, and choose Mexico as your nation of origin, you'll see that a Mexican will not be allowed to seek a green card, at least not at this time.


http://www.insexperts.com/cm/getting-green-card.htm

[1rudeboy]

My family applied legally, left Spain and entered through Ellis Island. Am I more of a legitimate American than you? Yes, I have the record of law to validate it. You have the record of a criminal act.

Careful with the word "legitimate." If carlo was born here, he is just as legitimate as you are. Your issue is with his parents.

[carlo3b]

Sentimentality makes very bad law.
 
So right you are sweetheart.. lucky I can't find a switch smaller than my thumb, or I'd show you what fir! Thank God those ole softies didn't repeal those good old fashioned laws that kept people in their proper places! Ahhhh, give me the good old days when everyone had perspective!

The phrase "Rule of Thumb" comes from English Common Law which deemed it a man's right to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than the diameter of his thumb.

The 1917 Law review article, "Right of Husband to Chastise Wife," 3 Virginia Law Register 239 (1917), states the rule of thumb as the common law rule and cites as examples two NC cases: State v. Oliver, 70 N.C.60 & State v. Rhodes, 61 N.C. 453

[Publius6961]

The author of this piece is another idiot, promoting the "Big Lie". Repeat it often enough and no one will question it. In this case the Big Lie is: Americans are maintaining a relentless attack on immigrants, which is what the huddled masses refers to. Legal immigrants.

NO SUCH THING EXISTS

Taking the props out from under this lie leaves nothing to discuss and renders this whole diatribe meaningless. The continuing concern is with illegal immigrants, a word I notice is conspicuous by its absence.

Welcoming the "huddled masses" yearning to be free is alive and well, thankyouverymuch. Unfortunately, we also need to deal with this other problem, the uncontrolled invasion of parasites.

[MosesKnows]

There are no native Indians (at least not in the western hemisphere) or Native-Americans.

Once you recognize that logically all persons must be native to somewhere. That somewhere is where you are born. Anyone born in America is native to America and therefore a native American.

Many Americans have come to prefer Native American over Indian both as a term of respect and as a corrective to the famous misnomer bestowed on the peoples of the Americas by a geographically befuddled Columbus.

[FrogMom]

In those days, hopeful immigrants had to study and be tested to prove they knew enough about this country, and it's founding, history and government, to be qualified to contribute to it's greatness.

That's the difference, love. Your family came with the hope of becoming Americans and did what they could to make that happen and to make sure they would fit in.

The current flood has come with the hope of making America like their 3rd world hell-hole former homes.

It's not uncommon to find someone in L.A. who's been here 30 years and can't speak English. You go to a resturant in the blighted areas and find very friendly people but sticky tables, crusted silverware and dirty bathrooms. I stopped in at a KFC in El Paso to ask directions and there was no one working there who could speak enough English to answer questions. The entire crew was standing around talking while there was enough trash on the sticky floor to actually kick out of the way as I walked to the counter.

They vote for Demoncraps because they want hand-outs from our treasure chests. They couldn't get ANYTHING from their previous homelands so will raid ours.

Assimilation. That's what ISN'T happening with the current crop.

[fightu4it]

"What ever happened to "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."

Nothing has happened. If you read it you will see it doesn't say anything about: "Give is all your poor, all your tired, all your huddled masses longing to be free.......

Personally I wouldn't have minded if they had added: "and we wouldn't mind if you sent a few of your best and brightest also."

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning sweetie. :-)

[Publius6961]

OOps. OK I was wrong. The words "Illegal aliens" are in there. I should have read the whole article instead of reacting to the first few paragraphs. Let me think about how to respond to this doofus.

[carlo3b]

I believe the quote, from Emma Lazarus' poem, "The New Colossus,"

You are so right.. thanks.. OK, Now can someone please tell me what has happened to..

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

--Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus”, poem at the base of the Statue of Liberty
 
 

[PatrickHenry]

And my biggest gripe....nice college tuition handouts for those students who barely just arrived in this country while other kids, born and raised here must resort to Federal loans. It'a all very unfair.

I know a lady who wanted to set up a scholarship fund at her husband's alma mater (he had died and left her very well off). The university shall go unnamed here, but it's in a northeastern state. She wanted each year's recipient to be a US citizen. The university checked with their legal department and they had to turn down the gift. Why? Because it would be illegal to discriminate against aliens! Sounds crazy, but this is a true story. Eventually they reached a compromise. The university's lawyers agreed that it was okay to restrict it to veterans of the US military and their descendants, which was quite satisfactory to the lady, but the whole thing makes no sense at all.

[carlo3b]

With all do respect, There is no Statue of Liberty in Texas, Arizona or California... The huddled masses did not cross the Atlantic, they merely crossed the Rio Grande.

They don't see 'Liberty' when they arrive, they see entitlement.

Really, I personally know dozens of former illegal aliens operating well within our laws. I vouched for them in the mid 80's when President Reagan enacted a similar law.. However that number dropped by at least 1, when he crashed on a training mission in Saudi Arabia about 10 years ago.. I guess he was entitled to life a better life, but chose not to.
 
 
 

[Vigilanteman]

Carpenters do not equal garlic pickers!

I know a young cabinet maker in South Carolina who spends thre-fifth of his time huslting work, two-fifths actually doing it. The construction companies who do the cookie-cutter developments and apartments won't hire him even though (supposedly) they have to use illegals because there are not enough local carpenters and cabinet makers available. The only work he can get is from individual homeowners who appreciate the quality of work which he does. He has to charge more because he's licensed and legal and pays taxes on what he earns.