Immigrant workers

Anti-Immigrant Zealots Lose Hastert’s Seat For Conservatives

I will repeat something said long ago ("long ago" being relative: perhaps in November, when this blog was launched):

Illegal immigration is a fabricated issue

One day I went to bed without having heard the term, "illegal immigrant."

When I woke up the next day, "Illegal immigration" was all the rage. I've no idea how this happened.

Most of us are descendants of "undocumented" immigrants - documentation has been required for a very short time.

Me? I happen to accept the Emma Lazarus poem:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The anti-immigration crowd be damned!

Throughout her history, America has experienced paroxyms of anti-immigrant hysteria. In almost all cases these either reflected or were followed by extremely foolish policies, later repudiated.

Even Ben Franklin got in on the act:

"Those who come hither are generally of the most ignorant Stupid Sort of their own Nation, and as Ignorance is often attended with Credulity when Knavery would mislead it, and with Suspicion when Honesty would set it right; and as few of the English understand the German Language, and so cannot address them either from the Press or Pulpit, 'tis almost impossible to remove any prejudices they once entertain. Their own Clergy have very little influence over the people; who seem to take an uncommon pleasure in abusing and discharging the Minister on every trivial occasion. Not being used to Liberty, they know not how to make a modest use of it; and as Kolben says of the young Hottentots, that they are not esteemed men till they have shewn their manhood by beating their mothers, so these seem to think themselves not free, till they can feel their liberty in abusing and insulting their Teachers."
[The Writings of Benjamin Franklin: Philadelphia, 1726 - 1757]

We will eventually realize that most of those who seek refuge in our country are assets, not to be squandered.

For what it's worth, The Declaration of Independence complained that

"He [King George III] has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither...

Yes, that's right: one of the complaints against the tyrant George was that he inhibited immigration!