Some issues are perennial in American history. One hundred and nine years ago Congress overwhelmingly passed the Immigration Act of 1917 over President Wilson’s veto. It established an Asiatic Barred Zone from which new immigrants were excluded. Chinese were already excluded under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Japanese immigration was limited under the Gentleman’s Agreement of 1907. The law required immigrants over 16 to be literate either in English or their native language. Among the categories of immigrants banned were”alcoholics”, “anarchists”, “contract laborers”, “criminals and convicts”, “epileptics”, “feeble minded persons”, “idiots”, “illiterates”, “imbeciles”, “insane persons”, “paupers”, “persons afflicted with contagious disease”, “persons being mentally or physically defective”, “persons with constitutional psychopathic inferiority”, “political radicals”, “polygamists”, “prostitutes” and “vagrants”.
Americans have been spoon fed a Statue of Liberty Myth by which all were welcome to America’s shores. Actually, legislation regulating immigration has been a constant feature of American history, and modern mass immigration to the US was largely a result of the Immigration Act of 1965 which we will look at in future posts.
I’m not a lawyer. Of course, the lying media didn’t report it. What Article in the Constitution? What chapter/verse of what US law did the so-called judge cite to place the bogus stay?
Holy Macro Safire! It would appear that the Immigration Act of 1965, which was quietly signed into law by LBJ, another lousy president, completely reverses things, so that eveeryone from alcoholics to vagrants on the above list now have priority to enter America.
Language was better 100 years ago. It more often said what it meant.
Perhaps because the written word was harder to produce. Perhaps more of us took the 8th Commandment seriously.
On the subject of the Statue of Liberty plaque:
I believe it is a perfect example of how a memorable poem or ditty can be used to undermine actual policy.
I think the same disastrous effect occurs with the perennially weak, often heretical, songs we endure at Mass. They stick with you long after the (hopefully orthodox) homily has faded.
“This country was built on immigrants.. ” ignores the fact that these were Europeans who were willing to assimilate. And then of course “immigrants” are regularly conflated with “illegals”.
The end is laws don’t matter, and neither does assimilation. But “immigration is good”, because -look it was good!
No, every country has the right to decide who will immigrate, with an eye towards assimilation.
(Not saying that Europeans should only be allowed in today, times have changed, there is so much more chance of assimilation.. but still.. assimilation matters, and obeying laws too.)