The devil’s in the details. Or at least that’s what we’re seeing on Capitol Hill, and hearing from pundits and bloggers paying attention to all the drama surrounding the Immigration Bill and the Gang of Eight. I suppose all of that is fine. Except for one thing.
No one has pointed out that there is a distinct difference between immigration and Citizenship, and the two have become decoupled. This is a serious problem. And rather than addressing the simple fact that there is already a path to Citizenship, we’ve devolved to belly-button analysis where illegal aliens are being recast as “Immigrants,” even though their immigration has nothing to do with becoming American.
Today, Citizenship and assimilation is unimportant, or worse, it’s denigrated. The melting pot is outmoded, outdated, and even racist and today’s sensitive leaders encourage immigrants to retain their homeland’s customs and language. What could go wrong? Ask Sweden.
When my Italian Grandmother came over here as WWII was breaking out, she had to have a sponsor, had to show that she wanted to become American (not just come to America), and she had to learn English. It was a distinct difference that she always talked about with pride. She wasn’t powerless. She came over, was able to interact with people (anyone, not just Italians), she wasn’t stuck in a borough due to a language barrier, and so was able to choose anywhere to go. Eventually, she owned a restaurant / bar in California with her husband and realized the American Dream. Can you imagine?