Thread: Theodore Roosevelt's on Immigrants in 1907.

This was over in another forum I browse and I thought it interesting.


Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone 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 person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Things have definitely changed in the past 103 years and not always for the better.

Just wanted to hear your opinions.

I think my signature says it all

Originally Posted by IsaacRN

I think my signature says it all

I was hoping you would be the one to respond to the OP!

HAHA...

Im glad i didnt dissapoint. You know, the whole immigration thing has me irked so to speak. Let me hop on me soapbox.

I live in a border city with Mexico. There is so much Mexican Heritage pride and I can certainly understand that. But, it seems that no one takes the time or effort to learn English. In my city, It seems that if you dont know Spanish, there is something wrong with you. I often am asked, why dont you know Spanish? My answer is usually simple. I live in America, and we use to speak English here, Im the last hold out.

You often see TONS of Mexican flags on vehicles and storefronts. My question to that is simply, if things are so much better, why are you here? Ive seen houses that have the Mexican Flag hanging without any signs of the American flag. Now, I am of Hispanic lineage, and my loyalty is toward America. My Mexican Grandfather always loves to say, If a war breaks out tomorrow in Mexico, lets see how many of these people waving their flags and are "puro mexicanos" go back down south and help fight the fight.

I could keep going on and on, but dont want to sound like a bigot, nor do I want to offend anyone. Thats just a small glimpse of what I go through on a daily basis.

"Things have definitely changed in the past 103 years and not always for the better."

Not really. A good number of those early 20th century immigrants either didn't hear or refused to listen to TR. Thousands returned to their European homelands during WWI to fight in their armies.

Their departure created a labor shortage in the industrial Northern United States making it possibe for hundreds of thousands of southern blacks to migrate to the North in the largest demographic shift in American history and get jobs in U. S. industries that, up until that point, refused to hire them.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Nice Sig.


I didn't say nothing was better, in fact, most things are much better. But I was going on the loyalty to the country that allowed you in, and the language barrier. I treat all my crew members (white, black and hispanic/latin) equally but yet I definitely don't get the same treatment from the latter. And yes, they are all payed equally too. I actually learned Spanish knowing that in the construction and horticulture businesses that I would make my life much easier. And it has a hundred times over. But I am still the gringo giving them orders. Should I have even had to learn Spanish in the first place? I guess people in other countries could say the same about having to learn English in school but it is the trade language.

Hell even some food labels are in english/spanish now. I have to think that if you come into this country, you should know what fat and calories are.

I hope no one takes this as bashing people of hispanic or latin heritage. I enjoy the company of all races and ethnicities. But hey, I will never win because this is the melting pot of the world and we just gotta suck it up.

Originally Posted by The Dude

Hell even some food labels are in english/spanish now. I have to think that if you come into this country, you should know what fat and calories are.

Actually this is the exact same approach that you used yourself. Adding spanish label is giving the manufacturer/vendor an advantage. Probably pays way over 100 times over too, since the ink is really cheap.

Here's what I've learned about America - if it's making money it's good.

Originally Posted by IsaacRN

HAHA...

Im glad i didnt dissapoint. You know, the whole immigration thing has me irked so to speak. Let me hop on me soapbox.

I live in a border city with Mexico. There is so much Mexican Heritage pride and I can certainly understand that. But, it seems that no one takes the time or effort to learn English. In my city, It seems that if you dont know Spanish, there is something wrong with you. I often am asked, why dont you know Spanish? My answer is usually simple. I live in America, and we use to speak English here, Im the last hold out.

You often see TONS of Mexican flags on vehicles and storefronts. My question to that is simply, if things are so much better, why are you here? Ive seen houses that have the Mexican Flag hanging without any signs of the American flag. Now, I am of Hispanic lineage, and my loyalty is toward America. My Mexican Grandfather always loves to say, If a war breaks out tomorrow in Mexico, lets see how many of these people waving their flags and are "puro mexicanos" go back down south and help fight the fight.

I could keep going on and on, but dont want to sound like a bigot, nor do I want to offend anyone. Thats just a small glimpse of what I go through on a daily basis.

Living in Texas, I'm sure you understand that English is the SECOND language and not the first for the region. I am, of course, leaving out the REAL first languages, i.e. the tongues of the native peoples who were largely either rubbed out or assimilated.

I'm not snarking at you, but I find that Americans who complain that immigrants to this nation should "learn English" are, as the bible puts it, trying to remove the mote in their neighbors' eyes before addressing the beam in their own. Let's face it: most Americans don't know "gerund" from "geriatric" and think "verb tense" is something that happens to you in an English exam.

Of especially stunning ignorance was the recent ad run by Alabama GOP gubernatorial candidate Tim James demanding that the state of Alabama offer driver's license exams ONLY in English. Me, I couldn't resist addressing it:

YouTube - Tim James Speaks English