chabot@arden.DEC (05/11/84)
John Hobson quotes Evan Kane quoting Emma Lazarus' poem (the one on the Statue of Liberty), and then says > Speaking as an immigrant to the United States (from England via > Canada), I want to say that I dislike this poem intensely. I am > not "wretched refuse" nor a "huddled mass." I always feel insulted > by this poem. Well, that's 'cause you're here now. :-) You used to be "wretched refuse" and part of one of the "huddled masses", but at last the tempest has toss'd you here to the wide realm of Prospero, the brave new world which doesn't have such people in it. :-) I like the poem, but I like it better when I sing it. And actually, there have been those who may feel the conditions of their lives have been significantly improved by immigration to the US. This poem shouldn't be interpreted as saying to Europe, etc "Sure, we'll take your garbage, we'll take them all", but rather as an expression of the American Dream: here you can have a chance, here is a golden door of opportunity to those who might be crushed and wasted in the overcrowded Old World. And there's a certain amount of Yankee pride in being able to take something that no one else wanted (extra people) and do something not too bad with it, after all. Well, you'll have to excuse me. I was born and raised here. Having the American Dream shouted at you all your life can warp the mind a little, even if you think you know better. (Think I'll go home and read The Great Gadsby.) Anyway, the interpretation of the poem in the above paragraph do not necessarily express the opinions of the author. Any author. Actually, I think all you recent comers (ie, anyone themselves or whose foreparents (hmmm.... foremothers and forefathers hmm... :-) ) arrived here in the 20th century) should show more respect or we'll send you back where you came from! :-) :-) :-) With no dinner, either! :-) Lisa Chabot ...decwrl!rhea!arden!chabot "Well, a'right. We'll take the n*****s and the ch***s, but no I**sh." --from Blazing Saddles (sort of)
twiss@stolaf.UUCP (Thomas S. Twiss) (05/13/84)
I have two responses to the article in question.
1) It offends me very much that the words (approx.)
"it's kind of nice that we can take anything from
anywhere and make something pretty good out of it"
were used. Those are people you are talking about and I think
it disgusting if the US really takes such a patronizing
view concerning immigration.
2) What is this doing in net.women?
Tom Twiss
...{decvax|ihnp4}!stolaf!twissmartillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Martillo) (05/13/84)
When I attended elementary school in Europe, I remember a few small references to the Europeans who emigrated to the USA. They were described as low-class unable to make it in Europe and therefore exiled to the styx. But when I attended HS in the USA, the immigrants became the adventurous, and daring people who built the USA. Of course, the emigrants who came to the USA before the 1920's (when there were open immigration policies) are quite different that those who have come in the last 20's (when the government has been very selective in choosing immigrants).
dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale) (05/13/84)
It is entirely possible that the same person who really was "low-class" and unable to do well in Europe would become one of the heroic pioneers who built the U.S. Take a person and put them in an environment where they are treated as low-class nobodies, and they will probably behave as expected. Put the same person in an environment where they are challenged to do the best they can, and rewarded for doing so, and you may find a very capable person. An American friend has chastised me for my article of a few days ago criticising some Americans as being particularly arrogant. I'd like to say that I recognize that there are clearly a lot of very reasonable people inhabiting the U.S. as well. (It is interesting to note that some of the examples of arrogance that stand out most clearly in my mind come from USENET articles.) Perhaps there are relatively few of the "save the world from communism", "my country right or wrong" unthinking patriots out there, and I just notice them more because they irritate me so much. None of this seems to belong in net.women, does it? Dave Martindale
seifert@ihuxl.UUCP (D.A. Seifert) (05/16/84)
speaking of "wretched refuse", does anyone have a copy of the
speech Bill Murray gave on this topic in the movie "Stripes"?
Truely excellent!
"We've been kicked out of every decent country in the world!"
--
_____
/_____\ That auto-crossing beagle,
/_______\ Snoopy
|___| BMWCCA, Windy City Chapter
____|___|_____ ihnp4!ihuxl!seifertwm@tekchips.UUCP (Wm Leler) (05/25/84)
You don't think people in the US of A are jingoistic? Just consider the words "anti-american" or "un-american". Now try and change them to refer to another country. "Un-american". What a concept. How can you be "un-american"? Wm Leler what in heaven's name is this discussion doing in this group?