In an op-ed piece entitled "Stop All Immigration Into America", published in The American Daily, Frosty Wooldridge emphatically declares that multiculturalism is a failure. He goes on to say that America should close its borders to all immigrants.
He says:
These new immigrants arrive from totally incompatible cultures. They are the seeds of cancer sewn into our social fabric that will eventually destroy our nation. Again, when the rate of immigration exceeds the rate of assimilation, it is a recipe for the annihilation of our civilization.
So is he right? In my opinion, no. Immigration has been a positive force in American society, not a negative. Yes, some immigrants are loath to adopt our language and culture. Yes, educating immigrant students is getting increasingly expensive. Yes, they sometimes take American jobs at lower wages. All of these things might be true, but immigrants have brought more to us then they have taken away.
When we think of Immigrants, we think of the people who cross the border illegally and take jobs away from America. We forget about the legal immigrants who come here hoping for a better life. Just who are these immigrants? Well here are some examples:
- Frank McCourt (Ireland), Author, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Angela's Ashes.
- Andrew Grove (Hungary), Founder, Intel Corp.
- Max Frankel (Germany), Editor, New York Times
- Oscar de la Renta (Dominican Republic), Fashion Designer
- Bjarne Stroustrup (Denmark), Inventor of the C++ Programming Language
- Jenny Ming (Macau), CEO, Old Navy
- Madeleine Albright (Czech Republic), Former U.S. Secretary of State
- Andy Garcia (Cuba), Actor
- Carlos Santana (Mexico), Musician
- Albert Einstein (Germany), Physicist
I think that very short list should serve to demonstrate how much we've gained from immigration. We can't allow fear of terrorism and a growing sense of isolationism prevent America from staying great. Immigration brings with it fresh blood, fresh ideas, and new ways of looking at the world. We need immigration to keep us vibrant.
(Originally published in Left to My Own Devices)
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - RJ Elliott
"when the rate of immigration exceeds the rate of assimilation, it is a recipe for the annihilation of our civilization"
Makes a good little rhyme...
2 - Aaman
Where did my comment go?
3 - alpha
Let us not forget my grandfather. He came from Palestine after Poland by way of England after deserting from the Turkish army into which he had been impressed. He had been a professor at the U. of Jerusalem and ended up a rabbi in Tampa, Florida. Not Einstein. Just another of the millions of people who made America.
There were plenty of the same people then who said things like "when the rate of immigration..." They were afraid that the: Irish, German, Jewish, Russian, Chines, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cuban, Mexican, Haitian immigrants would destroy "our civilization". So far it is only on the verge of destruction by the George Bushes and Pat Robertsons of the world (and the Al Sharptons, of course).
There seems to be a continuum of politics that meets in a grand circle with the crazies of the right cancelling out the crazies of the left. Time for some traditional moderation in modern day America.
Remember that when the rate of immigration equals the need for new workers, thinkers and consumers, America grows stronger.
4 - Purple Tigress
First we should eliminate all the people from all the cultures that are incompatible with the original American cultures and send them back to where their ancestors came.
That would take care of the original critic, I think.
There were two anti-immigration acts targeting Asians, specifically the Japanese and the Chinese. These were eliminated because of World War II alliance with the Chinese during WWII and changing opinions toward Japanese (and an influx of Japanese war brides) after WWII. When these anti-immigration acts were in place, immigration flowed to Latin American countries, including Peru and Brazil. Apparently, these countries didn't feel these people were cancer to their civilization.
California was originally invaded by the Spanish. I suggest that this means that the immigrants who would have the most in common with the Southwest would be those from Spain, Portugal and Latin American countries.
As another rice culture (going on the WWII debate between rice eaters and bread eaters), perhaps Asians would be a better fit for the Southwest.
Assimilation is relative. Not all areas, not all cities are predominately WASP.
5 - Bing
That's a nice little list in your post Joer but for every name on i there are hundreds of illegals who have committed violent crimes, gotten healthcare without paying a dime, worked here and not paid taxes and sent the money to another country, and so on.
Lately you liberals have been whining about the rule of law as it pertains to the whole wiretapping incident with Bush. So I find it hypocritical that you keep playing your semantic games by referring to the illegal aliens in this country as "immigrants" or "undocumented workers." The bottom line is that they have come here illegally and have no right to be here. End of story.
6 - Maurice
Stopping immigration seems unreasonable. Controlling immigration makes sense. I would never stop my kids from having friends over to our house. I do regulate how many at one time and forbid some because of behavior problems.
7 - tommyd
The Immigration Act of 1965 has been an absolute disaster for the United States of America. Multiculturalism is a failing disgrace. It doesn't feel like America anymore, but more like a Third World country with a remnant of First World infrastructure....which is deteriorating quickly since all our tax money goes to welfare and warfare.
We never needed the recent Third World immigrants but the corporations and business owners wanted them all, and we know who calls the shots in the U$A, don't we?
8 - Richard Brodie
That's a nice little list in your post Joe but for every name on i there are hundreds of illegals who have committed violent crimes, gotten healthcare without paying a dime, worked here and not paid taxes and sent the money to another country, and so on.
And conversely, for every name on his list there are hundreds of thousands of NON-immigrants who have made equally significant contributions. Our own citizens may not have contributed in exactly the same way, but the "contributions" of immigrants would not be missed. In fact in most cases their achievements would simply have been made in other countries. We wouldn't be able to engage in collective bragging about how they were American achievements, but so what? With the exception of the dubious benefits of those who become politicians, we would be able to enjoy the fruits of them nevertheless.
I agree with Woolridge. The time is way overdue to shut the borders. The land is all taken now. We're filled up. We don't need millions of homesteaders anymore. Those who continue to pour in are clogging our country, with two, three, or more families moving into the same house, turning our roads into parking lots, swamping our health care, shcools, and welfare systems to the point of collapse, etc.
I'd be willing to bet that most of those who are in favor of wide open borders and no limits are single people who aren't struggling with raising families. Even these reality-insulated people would have to admit that there have to be some limits. There are six billion people in the world. Should we have a couple of hundred billion dollar budget to finance the importation of several tens of millions of new immigrants every year, in order to accelerate the process of becoming a completely balkanized third world country? If we don't start thinking outside the confines of all the worn out bullshit PC platitudes, then that's exactly the kind of a mess we're going to be leaving for our children to inherit.
9 - Joseph Johaneman
That's a nice little list in your post Joer but for every name on i there are hundreds of illegals who have committed violent crimes, gotten healthcare without paying a dime, worked here and not paid taxes and sent the money to another country, and so on.
Yeah, but my point is this: We gain more from immigration than we lose. Unless you're 100% Native American, you come from immigrant stock. The infrastructure of America, like the railroad system, was built by immigrants. The cities were built by immigrants. (Which is why New York and other cities have a Chinatown, a Little Italy, etc.)
Lately you liberals have been whining about the rule of law as it pertains to the whole wiretapping incident with Bush.
I'm not really a liberal. I'm more leftist than most liberals. And questioning Bush's illegal wiretaps is not whining. It's enganging in our first amendment right to free speech, a distinction most Repubicans can't see, and something this administration would like very much to go away. If Bush could burn the bill of rights on the steps of the Supreme court, he would. The Patriot Act is proof of that. It directly assails the 1st, the 4th, the 5th, the 6th, and the 8th amendments. It also goes after the 14th amendment, which provides equal protection under the law, citizen or not.
The bottom line is, immigration is a positive force in the growth of our nation. It always has been, and it always will be.
10 - gonzo marx
how about we stop illegal Immigration and then take it from there?
nuff said?
Excelsior!
11 - Bing
Joe you keep making refernces to immigrants from the early 1900's. The current crop of aliens for the most part isn't exactly the same caliber as those who immigrated here and "bulit the railroads." They are far less beneificial to American society.
I don't believe that we benefit more than suffer from the current crop of illegals. They are a drain on our economy and a plague on our culture. I know english isn't the offical language of America but considering that what most of us have traditionally spoke and still speak, it should be. I'm so sick of the special treatment for spanish speaking people. If you want to come to here you sdhould speak english and if not too bad. And no this does not make me a racist or any other negative label you libs wanna put on me. Do you think any other nation would tolerate the crap we put up with here? If you went to france and expected everyone to cater to you in English I'd love to see how far you got.
They're not "undocumented workers, they're not "immigrants," they are 'ILLEGAL ALIENS," and they are a problem that needs to be dealt wiht with a firm hand.
12 - Richard Brodie
Do you think any other nation would tolerate the crap we put up with here?
Certainly not Mexico. They deal very harshly with people trying to violate their sovereignty by sneaking in across THEIR southern border from Central America. If you can't sing the Mexican national anthem, they'll put you in jail and throw the key away. And there's no MCLU to try and support the phony claim of invaders to be treated with the same rights as citizens!
Then the fucking hypocrites have the gall to throw a fit when they find out that WE are going to get serious about building a wall all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific, to keep THEM from overruning our country.
13 - IgnatiusReilly
"Certainly not Mexico."
Then how do you explain all the Central Americans that make their way into the country? Do they swim around?
14 - Richard Brodie
Then how do you explain all the Central Americans that make their way into the country?
You mean like the Los Angeles MS-13 gang that is believed to have already smuggled in Al Qaida operatives with nuclear bomb making materials in preparation for operation American Hiroshima?
Because they don't catch all of them, obviously. Plus they are corrupt and easily suceptible to bribery.
15 - Bing
Exactly Richard there's no MCLU and Mexico is a third world shithole where the law only works for the highest bidder.
I have no idea why American liberals liek the ACLU have such a hard-on for illegal aliens but could care less about the rights of American citizens. Take the minutemen for example. The ACLu has pulled out every trick in the leftist playbook from labelling the minute as racists to claiming the rights of the "undocumented workers" have been violated by the minutmen reporting thier illegal activity. When these illegals cross they are not only breaking laws upon entering the country illegally but they are also often tresspassing on private property of many of the American citizens whose homes are on the border. Why isn't the ACLU whining about thier rights?
Face it these people are a problem and until the majority of the American population gets pissed enough nothing will be done about it.
16 - Aaman
#15 is Racist offensive
17 - Bing
How is it racist?
18 - Aaman
Mexico is a third world shithole is a compliment?
19 - Andy Marsh
I'll ask the same question. How is #15 racist?
20 - Andy Marsh
it ain't racist!
21 - Andy Marsh
it might be derogatory, even if it is true, but it's not racist!
22 - Bing
It's not racist but Aaman being a good liberal resorts to name calling when he cannot refute an argument with his own valid counterargument.
Racist: def: a conservative winning an argument with a liberal
23 - Aaman
I'm glad I'm not a racist then, of any stripe.
24 - Andy Marsh
Hey - I used to live 5 miles from TJ...trust me...it's a third world shithole, as are most border towns in mexico...thriving on underage college kids or sailors in the case of tijuana(sp), spending money on cheap tequilla and cheaper hookers!
25 - Matthew T. Sussman
Bing, you sure won all right.