As a proud son of immigrants, I am so fed up with the MAGA movement’s assault on America’s heritage that I’m ready to trade all of our red mad hatter politicians for an equal number of people from wherever — Guatemala, Indonesia, Chad, I really don’t care.
Unless you have reddish brown skin and Native American blood, you’re an immigrant here in America. This is a nation of immigrants, and if you imagine that the continent was originally populated by blonde-haired and blue-eyed Christians, who like some “Texas Jesus” miraculously spoke English with a Southern twang, then you’re a hopeless fool.
Quddus Snyder is absolutely right. Most of us are the children of immigrants even if we don’t look like those doing the jobs no one wants today. My paternal grandfather was an illegal immigrant in the early 1900s. He had ivory skin, coal black hair and mustache, and baby blue eyes and was born in Lithuania. Believing opportunities were greater in the United States, he hitched a ride from Canada to Chicago. I’m pretty sure he didn’t read The Jungle by Sinclair Lewis, who documented the job hazards of the meat backing industry, but maybe he heard from friends and neighbors you didn’t want that job. Most likely, he was willing to risk working in an anthracite coal mine in northeastern Pennsylvania because it paid a few pennies more. A coal company sponsored my maternal grandfather from Italy to work in the same mines. Not that his employer valued him. If he died or became too ill to work, there was an endless supply of “hands,” not men, who came cheap, unlike the cost and care of a mule. Like the brown men and women who pick strawberries at Schartner’s today, my grandmother, mother and her sister spent the summer working on truck farms in New Jersey. When they described their living conditions, I cried. Things may be better today, but I’m not hopeful. I would bet that many of the MAGA faithful complaining about workers who don’t look like them or sound like them are the grandchildren (or great-grandchildren) of white men and women who came - legally and illegally - to do the jobs that citizens didn’t want or need to do. Are memories really that short? My life has come full-circle. I was an ESL teacher for 20 years and, for a time, most of my students were from Central America. I see my parents who were expected to do well in school in my students when they would leave school to clean office buildings until midnight with their entire family. I see my grandparents in their parents who work three jobs to get by here and send money to those left behind. When I had to cover a class of American born and bred students, many who were disrespectful, lazy and entitled, I was grateful to return to my students who didn’t look like me, who didn’t sound like me, but who had a work ethic and values that recognized. I would tell them that I was happy to be back and would gladly exchange 10 American students for one more from their countries. Mary Zukas Madison, NH
The major difference is that our ancestors who came from many different countries came to America properly with papers, with a sponsor waiting for them, and ready to ASSIMILATE !
They came legally....
Our ancestors did not come to America looking for anything free.
Our ancestors wanted to be American.
They worked hard and earned low wages, but learned our customs.
They produced something, and contributed to the betterment of America, in all industries.
They were not a drain on our resources.
They did not take anything away from American citizens, but contributed to and became part of America.
America did not learn another language to accomdate the immegrants, the immegrants learned english so they could communicate and understand Americans.
It doesn't matter what color your skin is, or what language you speak when you arrive here legally.
If you try to become one of us, work hard, and contribute to our society, you will fit in and be welcomed.
The people illegally crossing our borders at all points today, come to America with a hand out.
They abuse our kindness and generosity.
Not all, but many are cast outs of their own country of origin, they have been released from prisons, and mental institutions, they are gang members, and violent. They come to America and demand free housing, free food, free medical care, over crowd our schools, parks, and abuse our natural resources to the point of breaking them.
America has rules to follow to gain access to our country for a reason, mostly to allow aliens to enter in a managed, controlable way.
The immegrants of today have no regard for these rules, laws, or our country.
Sure they provide cheap labor to some industries, and rightfully so! There aren't any successful American citizens who didnt start at the bottom and work their way up.
They contribute nothing.
Our cities were built by immegrants who cared, and were proud to produce for America, thats why they still stand today, some, more than 100 years and counting.
If todays immegrants could build, the cities would last like that....
Lets face it. America has been sold out.
Its just a matter of time before we have to learn to speak chinese....
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Quddus Snyder is absolutely right. Most of us are the children of immigrants even if we don’t look like those doing the jobs no one wants today. My paternal grandfather was an illegal immigrant in the early 1900s. He had ivory skin, coal black hair and mustache, and baby blue eyes and was born in Lithuania. Believing opportunities were greater in the United States, he hitched a ride from Canada to Chicago. I’m pretty sure he didn’t read The Jungle by Sinclair Lewis, who documented the job hazards of the meat backing industry, but maybe he heard from friends and neighbors you didn’t want that job. Most likely, he was willing to risk working in an anthracite coal mine in northeastern Pennsylvania because it paid a few pennies more. A coal company sponsored my maternal grandfather from Italy to work in the same mines. Not that his employer valued him. If he died or became too ill to work, there was an endless supply of “hands,” not men, who came cheap, unlike the cost and care of a mule. Like the brown men and women who pick strawberries at Schartner’s today, my grandmother, mother and her sister spent the summer working on truck farms in New Jersey. When they described their living conditions, I cried. Things may be better today, but I’m not hopeful. I would bet that many of the MAGA faithful complaining about workers who don’t look like them or sound like them are the grandchildren (or great-grandchildren) of white men and women who came - legally and illegally - to do the jobs that citizens didn’t want or need to do. Are memories really that short? My life has come full-circle. I was an ESL teacher for 20 years and, for a time, most of my students were from Central America. I see my parents who were expected to do well in school in my students when they would leave school to clean office buildings until midnight with their entire family. I see my grandparents in their parents who work three jobs to get by here and send money to those left behind. When I had to cover a class of American born and bred students, many who were disrespectful, lazy and entitled, I was grateful to return to my students who didn’t look like me, who didn’t sound like me, but who had a work ethic and values that recognized. I would tell them that I was happy to be back and would gladly exchange 10 American students for one more from their countries. Mary Zukas Madison, NH
Point well taken Q.
The major difference is that our ancestors who came from many different countries came to America properly with papers, with a sponsor waiting for them, and ready to ASSIMILATE !
They came legally....
Our ancestors did not come to America looking for anything free.
Our ancestors wanted to be American.
They worked hard and earned low wages, but learned our customs.
They produced something, and contributed to the betterment of America, in all industries.
They were not a drain on our resources.
They did not take anything away from American citizens, but contributed to and became part of America.
America did not learn another language to accomdate the immegrants, the immegrants learned english so they could communicate and understand Americans.
It doesn't matter what color your skin is, or what language you speak when you arrive here legally.
If you try to become one of us, work hard, and contribute to our society, you will fit in and be welcomed.
The people illegally crossing our borders at all points today, come to America with a hand out.
They abuse our kindness and generosity.
Not all, but many are cast outs of their own country of origin, they have been released from prisons, and mental institutions, they are gang members, and violent. They come to America and demand free housing, free food, free medical care, over crowd our schools, parks, and abuse our natural resources to the point of breaking them.
America has rules to follow to gain access to our country for a reason, mostly to allow aliens to enter in a managed, controlable way.
The immegrants of today have no regard for these rules, laws, or our country.
Sure they provide cheap labor to some industries, and rightfully so! There aren't any successful American citizens who didnt start at the bottom and work their way up.
They contribute nothing.
Our cities were built by immegrants who cared, and were proud to produce for America, thats why they still stand today, some, more than 100 years and counting.
If todays immegrants could build, the cities would last like that....
Lets face it. America has been sold out.
Its just a matter of time before we have to learn to speak chinese....
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.