"Never forget where you came from". The meaning behind this popular saying is that, after you reach success, do not become vain and forget your past struggles. The past shapes one’s individuality, and without the past, society cannot learn from errors and anticipate the future. But with all the attention brought to the topic of Immigration by the US Election, a bigger question to ask is: Where exactly do we come from?
According to Donald Johanson, a professor of anthropology and Director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University, many historians believe a theory known as the "Out of Africa" thesis, in which what we know as the “modern human” evolved in Africa, then migrated into Eurasia. This theory is supported by copious …show more content…
People ventured great distances across the Atlantic for a sliver of freedom. As history went on, more and more people came to America to seek freedom and opportunities they would not have back home. Even the statue of Liberty in New York City is a monument that comments on America’s stance on immigration. The statue has an engraved oath to take the "tired, [the] poor, [the] huddled masses yearning to breathe free". Ironically, in the 1800s, after passing this enormous monument, these travellers would be corralled into Ellis Island, the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the United States between the years of 1892 to 1954. It was formed after the mass influx of immigrants. However, this establishment was the nightmare of many immigrants. Voyagers were meticulously inspected for any diseases or ailments. If any immigrant posses an unwanted traits, they were deported back. After the exhausting journey across an ocean in a small ship, many families feared the idea of being sent back. Another challenge this era of immigrants faced was rising nativism. Nativist sentiment was high during big waves of immigration. Between 1880 to 1920, the largest number of immigrants continued to come from northern and western Europe, notably the Irish seeking refuge from the Potato Famine. They were treated as trash, almost as …show more content…
Druglords and felons no longer wanted in their country get dumped into America to wreak havoc here. Many immigrants come illegally because they cannot wait for their citizenship to come through. They do it not out of malicious intent, but out of pure desperation and need. Especially refugees of countries with chaotic political systems. It seems surreal to me that some countries have the capability to take in Syrian refugees, yet we choose not to. Western society obsesses over famous dystopian novels with evil governments, such as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or DIvergent by Veronica Roth, but selectively ignores the actual plight of real people trapped in similar circumstances. People mindlessly read these books, but forget about regions like North Korea, Syria or Somalia, where events occur that our privileged minds can only read about. Many of these people will attempt to flee to a western country because they fear will die without asylum Yet, many politicians turn their backs to them. One can only imagine yourself in their shoes, panicked and seeking refuge only to be turned away at every door. Or even better, imagine your ancestors, trying to flee corruption or famine with their families, and having their dreams crushed by rampant nativist ideology .Unfortunately, a lot of nativist sentiment is caused by xenophobic and racist values. Immigrants are stereotyped and face bias according to their
According to Donald Johanson, a professor of anthropology and Director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University, many historians believe a theory known as the "Out of Africa" thesis, in which what we know as the “modern human” evolved in Africa, then migrated into Eurasia. This theory is supported by copious …show more content…
People ventured great distances across the Atlantic for a sliver of freedom. As history went on, more and more people came to America to seek freedom and opportunities they would not have back home. Even the statue of Liberty in New York City is a monument that comments on America’s stance on immigration. The statue has an engraved oath to take the "tired, [the] poor, [the] huddled masses yearning to breathe free". Ironically, in the 1800s, after passing this enormous monument, these travellers would be corralled into Ellis Island, the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the United States between the years of 1892 to 1954. It was formed after the mass influx of immigrants. However, this establishment was the nightmare of many immigrants. Voyagers were meticulously inspected for any diseases or ailments. If any immigrant posses an unwanted traits, they were deported back. After the exhausting journey across an ocean in a small ship, many families feared the idea of being sent back. Another challenge this era of immigrants faced was rising nativism. Nativist sentiment was high during big waves of immigration. Between 1880 to 1920, the largest number of immigrants continued to come from northern and western Europe, notably the Irish seeking refuge from the Potato Famine. They were treated as trash, almost as …show more content…
Druglords and felons no longer wanted in their country get dumped into America to wreak havoc here. Many immigrants come illegally because they cannot wait for their citizenship to come through. They do it not out of malicious intent, but out of pure desperation and need. Especially refugees of countries with chaotic political systems. It seems surreal to me that some countries have the capability to take in Syrian refugees, yet we choose not to. Western society obsesses over famous dystopian novels with evil governments, such as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or DIvergent by Veronica Roth, but selectively ignores the actual plight of real people trapped in similar circumstances. People mindlessly read these books, but forget about regions like North Korea, Syria or Somalia, where events occur that our privileged minds can only read about. Many of these people will attempt to flee to a western country because they fear will die without asylum Yet, many politicians turn their backs to them. One can only imagine yourself in their shoes, panicked and seeking refuge only to be turned away at every door. Or even better, imagine your ancestors, trying to flee corruption or famine with their families, and having their dreams crushed by rampant nativist ideology .Unfortunately, a lot of nativist sentiment is caused by xenophobic and racist values. Immigrants are stereotyped and face bias according to their