The Statue of Liberty, a symbol synonymous around the World with New York City. The statue was a gift from the French, dedicated on October 28th, 1886. The statue is of Libertas, the Roman Goddess of Freedom, she bears a torch and a tablet which has the date of the Declaration of Independence inscribed on it.
Taking a boat trip on the Hudson River I was greeted by the breathtaking site of all the sky scrapers at the waters edge in Lower Manhattan. As the boat made it's way toward Liberty Island it first passed Ellis Island, and it was at this moment I heard a truly amazing fact broadcast over the boat's tannoy system.
"In New York City it's estimated that over 800 languages are spoken"
To be honest this caught me a little bit by surprise, I've never thought about it before, but I didn't know there were that many languages in existence. After googling, "how many languages are there in the world", I was again shocked at my own stupidity. It turns out there are in between 6800 and 6900 languages in the modern world.
It's no coincidence that this fact was broadcast as we drew level with Ellis Island on our approach to Liberty Island. The statue itself was an icon of freedom and a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad. Once immigrants had arrived they were processed on the nearby Ellis Island, which came to be known as the Gateway to America.
Ellis Island opened in 1892 as a federal immigration station, a purpose it served for more than 60 years. So many immigrants passed through the station during that time, it has been estimated that close to 40 percent of all U.S citizens can trace at least one of their ancestors to Ellis Island.
Millions of immigrants came to America during the 19th and 20th centuries from all over the world to find their fortune, and to contribute to the building and expansion of America. To this day they are still coming, numbers for both legal and illegal immigrants in the States are around the 50 million mark.
And this brings me onto the subject of this weeks blog.
Is there any such thing as positive immigration?
New York City is a melting pot of cultures, deli counters sell foods on every other street from all corners of the globe. The hustle and bustle of the downtown areas is made all the more colourful for it's mix of nationalities, and for me this is what defines the big apple.
Spending time in this great city it's not hard to see what draws so many immigrants here. I myself usually prefer mountains to sky scrapers, rolling hills to ribbons of tarmac, and green valleys to subway stations, but it's impossible not to become intoxicated with the vibrancy of this place. And furthermore, it's the epitome of the American Dream.
The Declaration of Independence ratified in 1776 proclaims that, "all men are created equal", and that they are, "endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights", including "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". In 1931 James Truslow Adams said, "life should be better and richer for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.
From the above statements we can see the message has always been simple, come here freely, work hard and you will be rewarded. There is no doubt that positively encouraging immigration during the last few hundred years has helped America become the prosperous super power we all know.
Today immigration is a dirty word, it's associated with foreigners sponging off the government, finding loopholes in the system and getting money for nothing. Whenever you read a newspaper you're bombarded by reams of articles that shine a negative light on the subject.
Maybe the question we should ask ourselves is, how prosperous would we be in the developed world if it wasn't for immigrants?
Can we blame the immigrants for the way the system works, after all it's not the immigrants who make the rules?
If we use the Declaration of Independence as a guide then surely immigrants have the right to better themselves and provide for their families?
Immigration is one of those subjects that's usually avoided by politicians at all cost, as it's too much of a hot potato. Being pro immigration is not a vote winner and if you're anti immigration you're immediately branded a racist.
I know there will be a lot of people who blankly don't agree with a word I've said, and to be honest with you, I've never been particularly pro immigration. However, after visiting many cities in the United States I can't help thinking it's the foreign influences from all the immigrants who've settled over the years that makes America what it is today.
It's the tabasco sauce on your omelette, it's the jalapenos in your deli sandwich and it's the wasabi in your mash. It's that touch of spice that makes everything that little bit more interesting.
Why wouldn't you want to emigrate to the United States, after all, sky is the limit.
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