Immigrant

Fear of the “other” is not new to America. However we are a nation of immigrants, whose very society was built and made stronger by the hands of those who traveled here before us.

With the often negative and dehumanizing rhetoric in the current immigration debate, maybe it is time to step back and reflect on what it is that makes us strong, and what values this country was built on.

We recently produced this PSA to remind people that fears of the “other” are just as unfounded today as they were when this nation began.

Continue reading to watch the 1 minute PSA, read the transcript, and to get links to the original quotes in their full context.

Benjamin Franklin Quote In Context – 1751
“Pennsylvania is becoming a colony of aliens who will shortly be so numerous as to germanize us, instead of our anglofying them. And they will never adopt our language or customs any more then they can acquire our complexion.”

Thomas Jefferson Quote In Context – 1751
“Immigrants will infuse into american legislation their spirit, warp and bias its direction and render it a heterogeneous incoherent distracted mass.”

Abraham Lincoln Quote In Context – 1855
“When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty — to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocracy [sic].”

Transcript
Pennsylvania is becoming a colony of aliens who will shortly be so numerous, so numerous, that they will germanize us, as apposed to us anglofying them. And they will never adopt, never adopt, never adopt, never adopt our language or customs, any more, any more, any more then they can acquire our complexion.

Immigrants will infuse into american legislation their spirit warp and bias its direction and render it a heterogeneous incoherent distracted mass.

Krauts not welcome.

No Micks need apply.

Ahab go home.

No Waps need apply.

The Orientals must go.

Japs keep moving.

When it comes to this I should prefer immigrating to some other country where they make no pretense of love and liberty.