Saturday, June 16, 2007

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

This statement is a bit all or nothing, but the gist of it is, America is a melting pot of the world. Even though we may be German,French,or Hispanic, to live in America, you become American!
I am American! Thank God for America!

1 comment:

N. Maria said...

Very well said. It is so annoying that when I make a phone call, I have to press 1 for English!
When an American visits a foreign country, they take the time and money to learn the language to get around. Hmmm...