I was watching the Republican presidential candidate debate the other day, and when the topic of immigration was discussed, the question came up, "With regards to illegal and legal immigration, in your opinion, what does it mean to be an American? What are the tangible and intangible attributes of an American?"
Of the numerous responses given to the question, the one that seemed the most passionate to me came from Rudolph Giuliani. Here is an excerpt from what he said, "Abraham Lincoln, who fought the know-nothing movement, said being an American is not whether you came over on the Mayflower or you came here yesterday. How much do you believe in freedom? How much do you believe in freedom of religion? How much do you believe in freedom for women? How much do you believe in the right to vote? How much do you believe in the rule of law? The person who believes in that the most is the best American, and the person who doesn’t isn’t an American."
His answer got me thinking more about the issues of legal and illegal immigration and whether or not new U.S. citizens need to somehow be assimilated. Do they need to learn English? Do they need to cut ties with their country of origin? These are all very contentious issues, and you're guaranteed to get a different answer depending on who you ask. Isn't that your experience? Click on the "Comments" link at the end of this entry to leave a comment. I'm serious. Please click on the "Comments" link at the end of this entry, and let us know your opinion. We'd really like to hear from you.
As you might guess, the library has a lot of books and electronic resources that address these issues. Two compelling books that tell the personal stories of immigrants coming to the United States are Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario and Crossing Over : a Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail by Ruben Martinez.
In Enrique's Journey, the author (who is also a journalist) recounts the "epic journey" of a sixteen year old Honduran boy who overcomes "unimaginable hardship and peril" to reach his mother in the United States who had left eleven years earlier in hopes of being better able to feed her family. The focus of this book is about the danger involved in crossing the border, and the reasons why some illegal immigrants are willing to take the risk. In Crossing Over, the author tracks a migrant family from Mexico to the U.S. and discusses how migrant culture is changing America.
Two additional books that address issues of immigration from a very different point of view are State of Emergency : the third world invasion and conquest of America by Patrick J. Buchanan, and Whatever it Takes : illegal immigration, border security, and the war on terror by J. D. Hayworth with Joe Eule.
In State of Emergency, Pat Buchanan "sounds the alarm" that since September 11, 2001, millions of illegal immigrants have crossed into the U.S., and more are coming every day. In his estimation, "the Melting Pot is broken beyond repair, and the future of our nation is at stake." Ultimately, he believes that illegal immigration will lead to the end of the United States as baby boomers and their parents knew it to be.
In Whatever It Takes, Congressman J.D. Hayworth (R-Arizona) shares his views on how terrorists seek ways to "exploit America's porous borders and attack the country, as well as the hypocrisy, greed, and political correctness that" prevents U.S. leaders from solving "the immigration problem."
Two additional books well worth mentioning are Latino Americans and immigration laws : crossing the border by Miranda Hunter, and Illegal Immigration : an Opposing Viewpoints Guide. The first book, which can be found in our children's room, examines the patterns of Latino immigration and the history of U.S. immigration legislation. It is part of a series of books on Hispanic heritage.
The Opposing Viewpoints Guide contains six entries drawing upon arguments ranging from across the political spectrum. Each entry includes photographs and political cartoons that add an extra dimension to the analysis. Intended for readers in 9th grade and older, the book doesn't necessarily provide the most extensive analysis of the issues. Nevertheless, it does a nice job of including multiple points of view.
For those of you who enjoy accessing information electronically, I recommend browsing the library's Opposing Viewpoints database. The database not only includes information about immigration, but also dozens of other contentious issues including stem cell research, global warming and gun control.
And finally, I'd really like to encourage you to leave us your opinions about the issues discussed in this and all other From the Reference Desk blog entries. It doesn't matter whether you are ten years old or eighty years old. Maybe you are a library cardholder. Maybe you work at a library. All you have to do is click on the "Comments" link at the end of each entry and type in your opinion and/or reaction. So what do you say? How do you feel about the issue of illegal immigration? We want to know!
(Quoted material in this entry comes from book cover descriptions and/or book reviews that are available in the library catalog.)
Comments (4)
People who love this country, not just hate us for who we are. It seems to me, that someone who wants to be American so bad, should go to learn who we are, and what we fight for. If one of us moved to another country like Italy, would get to know there culture? how they live and work? I'm proud to be American and proud for our fathers who fought for what we have today!
Posted by Anonymous | June 11, 2007 8:15 AM
Thanks for sharing your opinion! Do you have any ideas on how immigrants "should go to learn who we are"? Is the current test for citizenship sufficient, or do you think it should be improved?
Posted by Steve | June 11, 2007 1:57 PM
Giuliani's quotation is indeed thought-provoking, and attributing it to Lincoln gives it considerable weight.
Do you have any reason to believe that Lincoln said anything remotely resembling this? I haven't found anything even close. So far it's my guess that he pulled it out of his... hat.
Posted by Scryer | June 11, 2007 2:48 PM
In response to Scryer's questions as to whether or not Lincoln said anything remotely resembling this, here is what I have found.
In a January 27, 1838 address to the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln on the topic of "the perpetuation of our political institutions," Lincoln did have this to say:
"As the patriots of seventy-six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor;—let every man remember that to violate the law, is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the character of his own, and his children’s liberty. Let reverence for the laws, be breathed by every American mother, to the lisping babe, that prattles on her lap—let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges;—let it be written in Primmers, spelling books, and in Almanacs;—let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation; and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly upon its altars."
While it speaks to the importance which Americans should place on maintaining the rule of law, it doesn't necessarily make any specific reference to qualifications for citizenship.
Posted by Steve B. | June 12, 2007 12:13 PM