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Considering Immigration I am the great-grandson of Italian immigrants. Francesco Donati boarded a ship bound from Italy just after the turn of the century, passed through Ellis Island, became legal American citizens, and settled in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. They came to America because they saw immeasurable opportunity and a distinct American culture of which they wanted a part.
What in one very real sense is sad for me and my family today is that the original Donati family that immigrated to America abandoned nearly all forms of Italian culture when they arrived. No longer did Mrs. Donati cook authentic-Italian dishes, no longer did they pass down Italian traditions to their children. The only Italian that was spoken in the home was between Mr. and Mrs. Donati. They spoke no Italian to their children, recognizing that if their children were to succeed in America, it was imperative that they speak the English language. As a result, nothing has been passed down to my present-day family that ties us to our Italian roots. Great-Grandpap Donati got a job shortly after arriving, the newly-arrived Donati family was raised, my Grandpap (Henry) Donati met my Grandma, one thing led to another, and here I am today, a normal American, not at all an Italian-American. My family's experience with immigration is very different from what most immigrants experience today, and is diametrically opposed to the amnesty/path-to-citizenship that could be sent to President Bush if Ted Kennedy, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, etc., get their way in the coming weeks. While I wish that I had some form of connection to my immigrant-family's past, I am thankful that the roots of my family today are established as American roots. I am thankful that my national passion lies with The United States of America. The nation that our Founding Fathers established gave my great-grandparents an opportunity to make a life for themselves and their family that was simply not available to them in Italy. My story is just one of millions like it. It is the story of America. Why, then, are so many Americans pushing so hard to effectively abolish legal immigration by accepting millions of legal immigrants as full citizens? Why has there been such a change in the culture over the past 70 years when it comes to illegal immigration? I realize that in the years since the founding of America that current citizens weren't happy about the great numbers of Italians or Irish or the you-name-the-nationality that were arriving and becoming nationalized. But at least those immigrants were following the law. Those immigrants could be called all sorts of things, but they couldn't be called law-breakers. How did we get here? |
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