Topic: Ellis Island and Other Myths

[jpatrickham]

Monday, 24 October 2011 05:31 Michael Cutler
  
Michael Cutler, Senior Special Agent, INS (Ret.), CAPS Senior Fellow

We have often been told that “America was built by immigrants.”  

"Certainly our nation has been one of the most welcoming nations in the world if not the most welcoming nation.  Anually, the United States grants lawful immigrant status to more than 1.1 million aliens–immediately placing them on the pathway to United States citizenship.

The issue is that those who advocate open borders and unlimited immigration have seized on that phrase about America having been built by immigrants as a way of persuading as many people as possible- among them our fellow Americans as well as our leaders, that the American Dream was the result of this massive influx of immigrants.  If you accept this hypothesis that the American Dream is largely attributable to huge numbers of immigrants being admitted into the United States, it becomes easy to then presume that even more immigrants will create even more success for our nation and our citizens.

The problem is that the underlying foundation of our nation’s successes is not simply the result of immigration but the result of our Constitution and the freedoms it guaranteed its citizens.  Our nation’s incredible and unparalleled successes are also the result of economic opportunities that our economic system provided.  This was the concept that became known as the “American Dream.”

http://www.rightsidenews.com/2011102414785/editorial/rsn-pick-of-the-day/ellis-island-and-other-myths.html?utm_source=Right+Side+News&utm_campaign=

Many years ago, my Father took me to Ellis Island to see where my Grandparents first stepped ashore. It was before it was restored, and now, I wonder if maybe they should have just left it the way it was? The idea, died a long time ago!  

[charlesoakwood]

The majority of Americans didn't come in at Ellis Island.
The Constitution other than an amendment to make certain
the children of freed slaves were citizens does not deal with
immigration.

Our Constitution, barring corrupt degradation, is who we are.
Those who have diluted our citizenship requirements and the
State Dept giving away free "diversity visas"  are responsible
for our diminished quality of immigrant.

 

[Damn_Lucky]

Well said.

[Pandora]

My maternal grandparents were here for a looooong time before I came along, but the paternal ones did come through Ellis Island.  A married fifteen and sixteen they were and right "off the boat".  Twelve children, twenty-nine grands and I-don't-even-know-how-many great-grands; if either were alive now, they'd be seeing great-great grands as well.

[Libertas]

Paternal grandfather came through Ellis, don't know about paternal grandmother, on maternal side grandmother came from Sweden and grandfather can trace roots back to the Winthrop fleet of 1640 that took roots in Roxbury.  I was able to see the Ellis entry of my paternal grandfather, pretty neat.