An Interesting View on Immigration!
From the Chicago Daily Tribune, dated 7 January 1919, page 4:
NEW YORK, Jan. 6. -- What
was the last public statement by Col.
Roosevelt was read
last night at an
"
All-American concert" here
under the auspices of the American Defense society, of which he
was honorary president.
"I cannot be with
you and so all I can do is to wish you Godspeed,"
it read. "There may be no sagging back in the fight for Americanism
merely because the war is over.
"There are plenty
of persons who have already made the assertion
that they believe the American people have a short memory and
that they intend to revive all the foreign associations which more
directly interfere with the complete Americanization of our people.
Our principle in this matter should be absolutely simple.
"In the first place
we should insist that if the immigrant who comes
here does in good faith become an American and assimilates
himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with every
one 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 man’s becoming in very fact and American and nothing
but an American.
"If he tries to keep
segregated with men of his own origin and
separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part
as an American.
"We have room for
but one flag, the American flag, and this
excludes the red flag which symbolizes all wars against liberty
and civilization just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of
a nation to which we are hostile.
We have room for but one language here and that is the English
language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people
out as Americans, and American nationality, and not as dwellers
in a polyglot boarding house; and we have room for but one soul
loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people."
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An interesting take on
the subject of immigration. One flag, One
language, one loyalty.
Ring a bell?