A nation of immigrants

Poet Emma Lazarus wrote, “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-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” The poem inscribed on the base of the Statute of Liberty in New York Harbor was often one of the first enduring symbols of America new immigrants saw when arriving in the U.S. during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The words live on today as they continue to best describe a nation proud of its immigrant heritage.

For those who continue to immigrate to this country, it remains a land of freedom, opportunity and possible upward mobility resulting from individual hard work and sheer determination. Residents enjoy many freedoms rigorously protected under the U.S. Constitution including the freedoms of press, religion and free speech. Political stability has contributed to an economy, which has developed into the world’s largest national economy. A solid public education system has created a highly literate and skilled population whose productivity propels it toward effectively competing in an ever-expanding global marketplace.

The country, for the most part, embraces its cultural diversity, but acknowledges the struggles, which often come from assimilating so many ethnically diverse people. Continued threats of terrorism and increases in illegal immigration have definitely affected immigration laws as the debate continues regarding how to best deal with immigration in the twenty-first century. Yet through all the political debate and public discussions, all those involved acknowledge the important role immigration has played in the country’s development and future growth.

The U.S. is characterized as being:
Geographically immense | At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km²), it is the third largest country in the world by land area.

Ethnically diverse | Immigrants continue to arrive from all corners of the globe. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the immigration population will grow to 397 million by 2050.

An advocate for individual freedoms | The Constitution and Bill of Rights guarantees all individuals certain inalienable rights such as freedom of religion, speech, press, the right to assemble, to bear arms and to due process under the law.