“Not all East Harlemites consider the area as a Puerto Rican and Latino stronghold, but as a multicultural community with a revolving door of immigrants, a community that is of and for everyone to claim” (Davila 107).
America is the land of the immigrants, but often we forget that. We act as if we are somehow indigenous to this land and being overtaken by "outsiders," conveniently forgetting that we are outsiders. Just yesterday I had an officer jokingly tell of how "they illegals they ain't got no rights" when he forced all Hispanic men in an area to be swabbed for DNA without their consent. I thought well obviously you've never read the constitution. The entire point of "unalienable rights' is that they cannot be alienated from anyone, not even illegal aliens, or at least that's the opinion of the Supreme Court. Even those who have once been on the receiving end of systematic racism sometimes forget our immigrant status. I have been in many awkward situations with the anti-attitudes of my family and friends towards Spanish speaking peoples. They have made comments about deportation and in support of Alabama's unconstitutional attempts of immigration reform. They say "if you wanna live in America speak English" as if we have a national language, as if if we did it would not be unconstitutional, as if that doesn't go against every principle of America. To say this is America so you are not welcome is to eviscerate the very definition of what America is suppose to be. America is supposed to be a free nation, America is suppose to be a melting pot, a concentration of world culture. Language, food, music these are not the largest component of American culture. Freedom is the largest part of American culture. We shouldn't worry about losing or language, or our food, or our skin color. We should worry about losing our freedom. America is not great because it speaks English or because of white supremacy. America is great because it is the land built on the principles of equality and the leader of the free world.
"Give me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
The wretched refuse of you teaming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
These are the words on the Statue of Liberty. People, we have a STATUE OF LIBERTY. That's what's important: liberty and justice for ALL.
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