immigration

A decision: How we become American

Senator Harry Reid recently and infamously tagged illegal aliens as “undocumented Americans.” Yet Peggy Noonan writes eloquently this morning, in the Wall Street Journal, of when letting go was a written reflection of a dream and offers that the peoples’ vote yesterday from those who had come before was not final. Her advice is worth reflecting upon:

A problem with newer immigrants now is that for some it’s no longer necessary to make The Decision. They don’t always have to cast their lot. There are so many ways not to let go of the old country now, from choosing to believe that America is only about money, to technology that encourages you to stay in constant touch with the land you left, to TV stations that broadcast in the old language. If you’re an immigrant now, you don’t have to let go. Which means you don’t have to fully join, to enmesh. Your psychic investment in America doesn’t have to be full. It can be provisional, temporary. Or underdeveloped, or not developed at all.

And this may have implications down the road, and I suspect people whose families have been here a long time are concerned about it. It’s one of the reasons so many Americans want a pause, a stopping of the flow, a time for the new ones to settle down and settle in. It’s why they oppose the mischief of the Masters of the Universe, as they’re being called, in Washington, who make believe they cannot close our borders while they claim they can competently micromanage all other aspects of immigration.

Our Republic was renewed yesterday when we, the Americans, said just being here does not make you one.

That Lady who stands in the harbor for what we believe is our welcoming those with similar dreams. Yet her lamp also illuminated the shadow where a ‘grand bargain’ — a compromise of our national security and sovereignty — was forged without our consent. The tyranny attempted by those we elected to represent us soon disappeared under liberty’s light. Come here and remain here only if you have that heart, a fiery love for our democracy. We’ll leave a light on for you.