The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “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!”

Emma Lazarus, 1883

I am frequently baffled and profoundly ashamed to hear the way some Americans vilify immigrants and non-English speakers living in America.  There is a word for this irrational discrimination: bigotry.  The United States does not — cannot — exist in isolation from the rest of the world; to believe or hope otherwise is delusional.  Before denouncing the languages, customs, or habits of others, we would be wise to remember our own family histories, so as to prevent ourselves from appearing naive and hypocritical.  This is especially relevant in the United States, where the overwhelming majority of the population is from immigrant stock.

Bigotry is not okay, and should not be tolerated.   Ever.  Period.

Tags: give me your tired your poor your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, I lift my lamp beside the golden door, Mother of Exiles, The New Colossus, world-wide welcome

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