Theodore Roosevelt’s ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.
“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American . . . There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag . . . We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”
—Theodore Roosevelt 1907
Unfortunately an American speaking that way today probably couldn’t get elected. Today I saw another employment opportunity working for the government where bilingual applicants are preferred. It disgusts me bilingual pay is given to people to speak a foreign language to people wanting government services who won’t learn English.
Apparently President Eisenhower, another person proud to be an American, had similar views. In 1954 his administration deported about a million illegal immigrants. See
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Wetback Some people say we can’t deport all of those illegal immigrants living here today. Ike did a million so we should be able to easily do a million annually. Start off at those offices where many are trying to get free government services.
Where’s your people from? ralph…
Truthseeker…It does not matter where Ralph’s “people” are from. It seems that they assimilated to America and became Americans. If a person chooses to immigrate to any Country, it is because they believe it is a better life, then what they left. It is not wrong that the Cirtizens of that Country expect the immigrants to assimilate. In case you haven’t noticed now when a form asks about a person’s ethniticity for one class it is white. Not White/Irish, White /European or any other White/_______. If you are an American you are an American. If you want to be _________/American, then find that Country.
The post above “Theodore Roosevelt’s ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907″ with the quotation above and a lot more with the same vein is at http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/troosevelt.asp
I especially like:the part about learn English or leave: :”Let us say to the immigrant not that we hope he will learn English, but that he has got to learn it. Let the immigrant who does not learn it go back. He has got to consider the interest of the United States or he should not stay here. He must be made to see that his opportunities in this country depend upon his knowing English and observing American standards.”
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In Response
Thanks, excellent answer.