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Assimilation of Immigrants and the Imperative of Pride in America
Guest Column | By Paul M. Weyrich | May 13, 2008
When my father
came from Germany as a 19-year old the very
first thing he did was to enroll in a class taught at a local public school to
learn English. My aunt told me that he became proficient in English in only six
weeks. He wanted to be an American and to do so he had to learn the language. Of
course, he retained his German heritage. However, assimilation was important to
him, as it was to most immigrants.
For years
America has drifted away from
assimilation, which has become an unspeakable word among the cultural elite.
Instead, we are told that we must recognize and celebrate the diversity of
various groups without demanding any compromise from them. This has hurt
immigrants more than anyone else because many have become isolated in cultural
ghettos without a proper command of English, the American political and legal
systems or American history and culture. That said, it also has fractured
American society.
For the past
several years pro-illegal immigration groups have rallied at the beginning of
May to demand citizenship
opportunities for the estimated twelve million illegal immigrants in the
United
States and an end to raids on and deportations
of these immigrants. This year was no different. There were
protests in California, Michigan, Florida,
Texas, Illinois and other places. One slight change,
however, was the attendance: this year the protests were markedly smaller than
before. In 2006, the first these immigration rallies were held, the attendance
was around one million people. This year crowds were down to between 300 and
500 per rally.
Many activists
were quoted as saying that the drop in attendance was due to fear of government
reprisal and deportation among the illegal immigrants themselves. This is
highly implausible. Since 2006 the Federal Government has made little progress
in enforcing our borders and deporting illegal immigrants.
What worries me
is that all three of the remaining presidential candidates – Senators John S.
McCain III (R-AZ), Barack H. Obama (D-IL) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) –
support a general amnesty for illegal immigrants. And this amnesty is without
any prior successful closure of the U.S.-Mexican Border that would halt further
waves of immigrants. McCain pays lip-service to border security and
assimilation on his campaign website. He states, “A secure border will contribute to addressing our
immigration problem most effectively if we also: recognize the importance of a
flexible labor market to keep employers in business and our economy on top, and
recognize the importance of assimilation of our immigrant population, which
includes learning English, American history and civics, and respecting the
values of a democratic society.” Obama’s website is similar, listing border
security as his main priority, followed by “bring[ing] people out of the
shadows” to become citizens. Clinton uses much more flowery language but
essentially posits the same
message.
It
should be noted that illegal immigrants do not live in the shadows. They attend
American schools, use our hospital emergency rooms as though they were a general
practitioner’s office and work in specific businesses. If the Federal
Government wanted to enforce our current immigration laws, which are sufficient
to solve the problem, it could. But there is no willpower to do so.
I
suspect that the reason for the drop in attendance at the rallies is not a new
burst of patriotism for America among prior attendees but
because the issue is not as pressing. What we need to do is return the debate
to the topic of assimilation, of learning to speak English, of the value of
becoming a citizen, and of pride in a country that provides immigrants from
around the world with more opportunities for success than any other country on
earth. The latter will be the most difficult. Immigrants need to assimilate to
American culture but if we are to demand that they do we must first restore a
proper sense of patriotism among American citizens. How can we demand that
foreigners respect our country when our own elites so vehemently criticize and
disdain everything connected to American history, culture, ideals, governance
and traditions?
A
return to assimilation and a coherent culture will not begin until we put our
own house in order. We cannot expect others to respect us when many Americans
themselves are ashamed of their country.
Paul Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.
© This column is the property of the Free Congress Foundation and may not be reproduced without their permission. For comments and inquiries, contact Phyllis E. Hughes at . Visit our website at http://www.FreeCongress.org.
Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the views of Accuracy in Media or its staff.
10 Comments | Post a Comment
First, this country needs to enforce it laws - just the ones already on the book regarding illegal immigrants, and their working, driving, receiving benefits, etc.
Secondly, the people allowed in as legal immigrants need to be expected to assimilate, at least in public and in employment, and speak the language.
We are a compassionate and caring group of people in this country. No where is this more evident than in the illegal immigration fiasco.
These people come here illegally, thumbing their noses at many of our laws on a daily basis, are partially supported by working taxpayers. Rather than ‘living in the shadows’, they feel so secure they march in our streets, disrespecting our country, our flag, our citizens and demand ‘more’. They do this safe in the knowledge that they will not be harmed.
Keep that in mind when you hear certain people talk about how ‘racist’ and ‘mean’ the people of this country are, in regards to immigrants - legal or otherwise.
While it is true that some small portion of immigrants come here covertly because they know they would never be let in overtly (e.g., convicted or fugitive criminals), I believe most come here to make a life as free individuals and are prepared to become productive citizens in that pursuit. Such people are worthy of respect and welcome.
Many of our immigration policies and laws are irrational and contrary to our country’s founding philosophy: many were pulled into existence by labor unions’ control over corrupt politicians. Such laws are not worthy of respect. The fact of such laws’ existence demands that Americans command our politicians to revoke and repudiate those laws.
This is not to say that there should be no immigration controls, rather that immigration controls must be founded on welcoming anyone and everyone who wishes to Live Free and earn their own way!
I would much rather have 12 million hard-working immigrants pulling themselves up by their bootstraps than the 20+ million welfare parasites who are “citizens” in this country.
The idea that one ‘would rather have illegal immigrants than welfare citizens’ forgets the fact that the illegals themselves are huge welfare recipients. So while we have those, closer to 20 million, illegals and 20 million welfare recipients - we now have quite a few ‘welfare parasites’.
I will only speak to the illegals as I am pretty familiar with that issue. They do not come here to become US citizens. They come here because there is money to be made, there is a very, very cushy safety net, there is free education for their children and they do not have to be mindful of piddling laws, like paying payroll taxes, driving legally, carrying insurance, etc.
If they get sick, they just walk into an ER and get treatment. If they want to have a half dozen children, the taxpayers will pay the bill.
They are not ‘earning their own way’. They could not subsist on their wages and raise large families without welfare any more than citizens can. A dollar is a dollar. It will only stretch so far.
Mexico is certainly not the US, but it is far from being a totally repressive country.
As to the criminals that come here - they are not a small portion. Think about it, all they have to do is walk across that border into the US and there is every chance they have a clean record. That’s an incentive.
LadyTexan:
There is no factual evidence to support the assertion that immigrants are making extensive use of the welfare system. If they were, it is not an argument against immigration, but rather an argument against the welfare state and the unjust payroll taxes that fund it.
By making this argument, you indicate you favor continuation of the parasitic welfare system which is funded by forcible expropriation and redistribution of your property by the government. In other words, you favor continuation of an unjust seizure of your wealth in order to make an unjust argument against allowing people to come here to create wealth.
By way of solution, changing the laws to specifically prevent immigrants from utilizing the public welfare system for some reasonable period of time would work wonders toward discouraging foreign parasites from coming here. The next logical step is to discourage domestic parasites, say limit their utilization of welfare to a maximum of 2 years and make it contingent on doing any kind of paying work, no matter how low the wages.
But factual evidence - who pays for the birthing of all those babies?? What does it cost to have a baby these days and they are having them at a fast rate. Do you think they pay for that? They couldn’t.
There children get free breakfasts and lunches, and free school supplies if they want. They all get free medical care. Hospitals are closing across the country because of treating them free. They are getting food stamps.
They get HUD loans. Two HUD officials stated there were so many loans to illegals if a small percentage defaulted, HUD would be in jeopardy.
The factual evidence is to stand behind them in a grocery line.
Common sense and reality must be part of any discussion regarding illegal immigration.
Certainly welfare for illegals is a point against illegal immigration. American taxpayers cannot afford to support these workers so the employers can make an obscene proft and so politicians, in turn, can get more goodies from employers, and the illegals can send money back to Mexico. That is certainly an argument against it.
But wait, according to one set of ‘facts’, they do know how much illegals spend on the lottery in Texas!! Not how many are here, not where they are, not who they are, not how much they make, not if they pay taxes, etc., - but somehow they know how much they spend on the lottery!!! Talk about absurdity. But there are always a few people who will buy that kind of talk.
These ‘hardworking people’ (and some are) simply cannot sustain their families in this country, while sending back to Mexico an amount second only to the income from oil, without getting welfare. They do not have a magic wand that somehow makes money stretch to those lengths. Once again, common sense.
One thing that is not an argument FOR illegal immigration is any statement regarding US citizens and welfare. That comes up so often, it almost seems like one of those talking points that says, ‘insert whenever possible, whether relevant or not’. One has nothing to do with the other. Welfare is a hot button issue, and one that certainly needs some discussion, some change but is totally unrelated - totally.
LadyTexan:
You seem fixated on the welfare issue as it relates to immigration, yet you say that welfare with regard to US citizens should not enter the discussion because of the cost to welfare of immigrants.
As a matter of fact, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, barred immigrants from receiving most welfare benefits for their first five years in America, so you’re making an argument on a false premise.
It seems your common sense is both wrong and irrational.
LadyTexan:
I don’t mean to insult you, but everything you say about the injustice of freeloaders sucking off the wealth created by others applies whether the freeloaders are born here or immigrate here. Saying one type of freeloaders shouldn’t be discussed while disparaging the other type of freeloaders makes no sense, common or otherwise. Freeloaders are moral degenerates whether they are native or foreign or naturalized.
When you point to employers making “obscene” profits from exploiting immigrants, you are only pointing out the moral bankruptcy of those employers. You need to focus on which are the wrongdoers: the folks who work to make a living, or the scumbags who try to make obscene profits off the fact that unjust laws make some immigrants exploitable.
Nobody has a right to a job or a right to a particular wage. The only employment right individuals have is to offer their services in exchange for wages that are determined by the willingness of people to work for those rates. If the employer does not offer what the person feels is fair, that person is not forced to take the job and the employer has no right to force them to do so.
It is only when the immigrant’s choice is between starving and being exploited that the real injustice can be discovered.
John Galt & Lady Texan:
This is getting out of control. Yes, immigrants disproportionately use government services (food stamps, health care, education, housing assistance, etc.) at a higher rate than U.S. citizens. This is a fact—check it out for yourself. Talk to folks in Texas, Arizona or California if you doubt that. They are a HUGE burden on our social infrastructure and that is a problem.
Another problem is that cheap immigrant labor lowers wages for U.S. citizens. That is also a fact and is supported by decades worth of evidence. Real wages have not gone up in this country since the middle of Bill Clinton’s tenure, and with the cost of health care, education, food, gas and housing going through the roof—you can see why most U.S. citizens are suffering right now.
The final problem (getting back to the headline of the article) is the lack of assimilation in the immigrant class for the past 20-30 years. With the liberalization of our society, everyone is spouting off about “celebrating diversity” and
“preserving cultural identity” and so forth. This is bogus and it creates divisions in our country. EVERYONE should speak English. EVERYONE should embrace the ideals that founded this country. EVERYONE should have patriotism running through their veins.
Instead, we have people coming here solely for the economic benefit. They work hard, send their wages back home, and don’t pay into our social system. Many immigrants don’t bother learning our language and customs, AND NO ONE CARES! It is pathetic and sad. My immigrant ancestors came here, learned the language, flew the flag, fought in wars and raised their children to believe in the American Dream. If we don’t return to such a mindset, our country will continue to fragment and then falter.
The fact that welare is destructive and that it is a waste of human potential is quite true. The fact that we have far too many of our own citzens on welfare is true. Our citizens are hamstrung by this. The only relationship to the illegal problem is that our citizens are not allowed to work as much as they like, pocket the money to send it out of the country, and still receive welfare.
It has absolutely nothing to do with illegal immigration. It is an attempt to tap into our dissatisfaction with the system and to divert attention from the illegal immigration. It’s comparing apples and golf clubs.
The illegals do get welfare. That does have a place in the discussion of illegal immigration.
John Galt says that illegals can’t get welfare. By law they should not.
By law they should not -
Be here
Work here
Work here without paying taxes
Drive vehicles
Drive vehicles without insurance
Etc.
Yet, they are here, they do those things and they do get welfare. That has been settled some time ago. That talking point is old.
Yes, US citizens do have a right to first shot at any jobs in this country. Many of our forefathers fought for, bled for, died for, maintained and sustained this country, over the years.
Some responsible lawmakers, in the past, decided
we could not actually have a country without borders and without making decisions as to who comes and who works in this country. That law gives our citizens the right to work at these jobs and be considered first. If others are needed, there are legal channels to use.
Working citizens also have the right to not be forced to support these illegal workers so they can be such a boon to their employers and to their homeland.
If one wants to talk about exploitation - let’s talk about the working US families who are being forced to subsidize labor for these employers.
All of the talking points in favor of illegal immigration sound so good, so sweet, so kind and hide a very ugly agenda. .
Those championing illegal immigration are usually doing it for greed. It may be the corporations, the politicians, the organizations that stand to gain, or the Mexican government. They have a lot of people out and about speaking their talking points.
The Mexican government has been able to be relieved of 20+ million of their people, many poor. These same people send home money second only to their oil industry. There is also the added benefit that their criminals can simply walk across our border and they are free of them forever. Does anyone think they are going to allow that situation to be changed without doing everything they can?
Use common sense - research for yourself. Don’t let some emotional and erroneous statements stop you from finding the facts.
May 14 at 2:56 pm | #1 | Link
You forgot to mention the immigrants flooding our prison system. I live in California and saw a report on a new channel about the overcrowding on death row and that it takes five men in full riot gear to feed these animals twice a day (they give a sack lunch with breakfast). This is just one more expense along with health care to the American taxpayer.