Statue of Liberty Plaque.
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 November 2, 1883
That’s very ozymandias of the US
Not the best example to make a valid point about the US stopping illegal immigration, as the Statue of Liberty welcomed immigrants going to a legal port of entry.
Also 1883 was one year after they passed laws banning Chinese immigrants(After they built all the railroads) for 10 years(was extended) and implemented a tax of 50 cents($15.47 today) to all immigrants.
The people who beleive illegal immigrants are the scapegoat for the whole country failing beleive regular brown immigrants are just as much a problem. [verbatim] Not speaking English, dragging their whole families here to mooch, defacing American religious traditions with their own, believing the violence of their birth countries comes from inherent ethnic traits, viewing American etiquette as the only proper etiquette while anything else is barbaric, whatever you want.
So no, it’s not the best example and probably would get picked apart for your point, but an argument specifying a difference between legal and illegal status is naive at best, disingenuous at worst. Illegals are just step one right now.
You know what? Fuck it. Let’s go back to 19th century rules. We’ll have open unlimited immigration, but in a very annoying fashion.
First, we’ll reopen and expand the Ellis Island facility. We’ll let anyone without a serious criminal record in, but all immigrants have to go through Ellis Island.
Second, no more plane travel. That’s just too damn easy. You have to come here by boat. And we’ll require they be slow boats that take at least a month to cross the ocean. Also we’ll set a minimum ticket price to whatever the inflation-adjusted value of a steerage ticket was on a passenger liner c. 1910.
We’ll turn immigration from a criminally regulated matter into what amounts to an international hazing ritual. We’ll let anyone who wants in, but you got to prove you really want it by putting up with a whole lot of pointless bullshit first.
Live in Ciudad Juarez and want to move to El Paso? Nah, you’re not just going to be able to walk across the border. You’re going to have to haul your ass down Vera Cruz, book a ticket on a boat, and then spend at least a month fucking around on the ocean until you get to NYC. Then you’ll be let in and can go live in El Paso if you want.
My ancestors came here during the time of open immigration, but they also had to put up with a lot shit in order to do so. We’ll make immigration like joining a fraternity or sorority. We’ll let you in, but we’re going to make you put up with a bunch of pointless and arbitrary crap first.
