Tuesday, May 16, 2006

The problem is not immigration but the lack of assimilation:

Many immigrants are currently taking the stance that Americans should stop being hypocrites since immigrants have been coming to this country for two hundred years without a problem. If you read my last post you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that I agree that we shouldn’t stop the flow. What I do think we need to do however is get back to what immigrants past, including my own ancestors, had to do. When immigrants use to come to this country, mainly in the early 20th century, there was an understanding that they would assimilate to American culture and way of life. A patriotic society, one that had no problem releasing the bond of their old land by claiming allegiance to their new home America.

Growing up both my parents were raised with the understanding that their loyalties should be to the U.S.A. They were to lean English and be proud to be an American. This thinking is greatly different from today’s immigrants who choose not to assimilate but instead at the encouragement of our liberal institutions, look to create subcultures where the allegiance is still to their original country. Where the problem grows is in the fact that many second generations are also choosing no to assimilate. You have to scratch your head and wonder how loyal to America someone is when they drive down a New York street with the flag of some other country slapped to the hood of their car. Even the protests, which I sympathized with, had me shaking my head when I saw the protesters standing there with Mexican flags. For me this is the reason immigration is all of a sudden a problem. Americans no longer have faith that new immigrants are coming here with the same passion and loyalty that their ancestors did. If today were 1941, we would have to wonder if today’s immigrants could be mobilized like those of the early 20th century to fight a world war.

Last week my son came home singing the verse to a song I unfortunately haven’t heard for years. He learned it at school by his teacher at the age of 4 who also taught him the Pledge Of Allegiance (thank God for private school)! George M. Cohan wrote the song in 1906 after being inspired by a Civil War veteran. The song is “You’re a Grand Old Flag”. I think if you don’t hear this song and feel a sense of patriotism then you don’t get what it means to be American. I wonder how many immigrants today not only know the song but also have ever heard of it.

You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.