The Statue of Liberty features the inscription:
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
These words by Emma Lazarus have inspired Americans and the oppressed around the world. Many came, enduring unspeakable hardships, leaving behind a life of tyranny and oppression. I am one of those.
For the longest time, the immigrants who answered the call came to “breathe free.” John Quincy Adams, serving as Secretary of State and later President of the United States, established our immigration policy that America offered freedom and equal rights, but not guaranteed economic security.
He wrote:
There is one principle which pervades all the institutions of this country, and which must always operate as an obstacle to the granting of favors to newcomers. This is a land, not of privileges, but of equal rights.
Emigrants from Germany or from elsewhere, coming here, are not to expect favors from the governments… They are to expect, if they choose to become citizens, equal rights with those of the natives of the country.
The U.S. did not promise jobs, subsidies, social welfare, or government-sponsored security. Under this ideal, immigrants came. They mingled, worked hard, and became assimilated.
Otherwise, immigrants would remain outsiders.
Where are we now? Disguised as welfare and kindness, we see examples in Michigan, where Somalis remain a separate group, defraud the government, and wasted $billions. Ironically, their condition remains as depraved as before; only selected individuals have improved their lives, like Ilhan Omar.
For comparison, allow me to tell the story of another Somali immigrant, Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Somalia under strict Islamic rules. She suffered unspeakable horror, and she escaped her native country and immigrated to the Netherlands. Through hard work, she educated herself and eventually was elected to be a member of the Dutch Parliament.
Her views are Conservative, in American standards. Like many of the conservatives in America, Ali was a frequent target of the media and liberal government. Eventually, she was forced out by their revised immigration rules. Lawfare, if you will.
Today, Ali lives in America. She immigrated here legally, where she contributes to several Conservative think tank organizations.
Ali has openly supported President Trump and has written many articles in his favor. And she continues to hold her view on President Trump’s policy alignment.
What is the moral of this story? We have two contemporary stories of Somalis coming to America. The media tells us of a group that was not assimilated. They never had to. And they live divided from the rest of the country.
Then there is another one that was never given any special treatment. She learned the language, the culture, and became an American.
Assimilation into our society is key. Society means churches, schools, banks, stores, the local YMCA, and even the government. As Ezra Taft Benson said, there is a Proper Role of Government. Our society functions best when each of us functions properly—within our proper role.
