Not necessarily the wretched refuse.
Perhaps the central problem that the native vs. immigrant metaphor presents
is in determining precisely what immigrant status means. Just over six years ago,
within these pages, I found myself confronted with this question, and with the
assumptions I grew up with about immigration.
Emma Lazarus' poem The
New Colossus was, for a variety of reasons, well known in our house. And though
I had no reason to assume that my own grandparents might in any way be considered
"wretched refuse", for some reason it seemed obvious to me that immigrants
(to the U.S., at least) were. When the date tie-in for a column caused me to do
a bit of web searching on the Statue of Liberty, I found myself amazed, perhaps
even somewhat offended, that the poem wasn't mentioned on an official site for
the Statue. It was only upon receiving an eloquent and
well-reasoned response to my query of why the poem wasn't on the web site
that I realized how inaccurate my own assumptions about immigrant status were.
That answer sought to present immigrants as risk takers, as the sort of people
who, rather than being taken in out of pity, were people who could make genuine
contributions.
This approach is empowering toward those who make the decision to leave their
homes and make a change. The web
site of the U.S. State Department tells the story of the States as one of
immigration, putting those immigrants in a very different light than as "wretched
refuse":
The steady stream of people coming to America's shores has had a profound effect on the American character. It takes courage and flexibility to leave your homeland and come to a new country. The American people have been noted for their willingness to take risks and try new things, for their independence and optimism.
People who make the decision to make a fundamental change in their lives are often
also people who can make a contribution. And when they're perceived in that way,
chances are good that they will.
Go to: Carrying cognitive baggage from the old
country