Just a interesting thought about our ancestors and immigration. We have people calling for a easier path to citizenship and also have people calling for tighter immigration laws. What would our ancestors think of the immigration system and would they think you need to work hard for your right to citizenship and illegal immigration is out of control or would they think that is a great idea make receiving US citizenship easier. Would our immigrant ancestors want illegals deported or to be granted amnesty. As a a genealogist and my family historian it is a question i often ask myself when thinking about our immigration problems today.
It was far easier to immigrate to the United States when my great-great grandfather and his second wife moved their family from Marcedusa, Italy to Uniontown, Pennsylvania in 1905. As long as you were able-bodied, you were welcome to come to the States. Today it's far harder with all the visa caps and near-impossible requirements you have to meet to get permanent resident status. If it weren't for the United States' immigration tradition, I certainly wouldn't be here. My great-great grandparents conceived my great grandfather while on the trip across the Atlantic, and in the mid-1920s, he moved from his hometown of Uniontown to Detroit to work in Henry Ford's car factories. While there, he met my great grandmother, whose parents had moved her to the United States in 1914, when she was two years old. I am quite literally the result of the United States' immigrant tradition, and it hurts me to no end to see these far-right xenophobic reactionaries who want to close our borders altogether.
This general attitude that countries should just completely open their gates is a little silly. Immigration has to be controlled. If you let in to many people at one time, there isn't enough resources to integrate them properly. From what I understand in the early 20th century, immigrants who moved to America had a pretty crap start. They lived in very poor immigrants parts of New York or where ever they went which had poor infrastructure as it was hastely build with little care just the quickly give the influx of immigrants a place to live. Immigrants had to work hard long hour jobs that paid poorly. As those where the only jobs they could get due to their low skills. This happened because too many Immigrants came in at once making it difficult for them to be integrated properly hence they were just pushed to the side and forgotten about. If you let fewer in you are less likely to get entire neighbourhoods of disenfranchised people with high unemployment and high crime rates.
Yeah i think they would be saddened to see how demonized immigrants have been become in this country for simply wanting to enjoy the American life. Even how Republicans criticize immigrants for not speaking English or learning English and the fact is some of my ancestors died not speaking a word of English. I actually glad some of my ancestors did not stay in New England and decided to move out to the Midwest which was full of immigrants. I can understand with terrorism and religious extremists happening in the US that things needed to be stricter but for no reason should we demonize those who coming here to lead a better life. One of my great grandfathers was the first born of his siblings in American and he was also conceived on the way to America. Immigration is part of what make us who we are and republicans have thrown many immigrants under the bus. ---------- Post added 6th Dec 2015 at 01:49 PM ---------- I am happy most of my ancestor moved out to the midwest to cities full of immigrants where they could be accepted and achieve their goals. They did not waste a minute in New York and went out west even thought they were very poor. My great grandpa the first of his family born in America and it is lucky his family survived such a journey or I would not be here. I think people when speaking in opposition to immigration sometimes forget their ancestors were once immigrants themselves.
I think they would be disgusted. Both sides of my father's family immigrated from Russia in 1905. The last the 1950's. They came on a Dream and left everything they had on it. They were excepted with children and nothing but the clothes on there back. One had a Homestead farm that is 110 years old today and huge. The other started on a GM assymbly line and retired as a head foreman of the motor division. Are all the people wanting to immigrate terrorists and uneducated? It makes me sick the judgment of people immigrating. They get a judgment and vague label. It is sad to me. People are doing the same thing today as 100 years ago. The absence of humanity to people who need the same as our immigrated families did in the simplests of ways I just don't get.
I wont speak for them, but I am happy that they are not here to see the nations that were established by the most violent illegal immigrants in human history rant about the sudden and convenient need to start respecting regional lines.
