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BACK
Are We Not All
Americans Before or After The Hyphen?
Émigrés the world over, migrate to the United States calling Her their new
home, including Italians,
Germans, French, Lebanese, Egyptians, Spanish, Iranians, Indians, Pakistanis,
Iraqis, to Russians, Mexicans, Brazilians, Chinese, Japanese and Irish, etc.
Each culture brings with it a wealth of history, custom and cultural
nuances which can not be appreciated until understood.
That which is unknown often causes fear and apprehension in most of us.
We are all proud of our heritage, culture and customs.
But when it comes to sharing another’s culture, some “native born”
have an inherent resentment to that which is different.
Multi-Cultural understanding and appreciating other’s culture, customs
and traditions have been shown to render an atmosphere of respect and mutual
understanding.
Earlier generations - those who settled here in the 18th
and 19th centuries - occasionally affect a somewhat more vested
interest in the
United States
than those who migrated here from the last half of 20th century to
the present. It is this “who came
here first!” misconception that fuels the fire of prejudice and
differentiation based on ancestry and ethnicity.
Our Courts interpret, analyze and apply
U.S.
law, often responding to political pressure, diverse constituencies or
geo-political events. The judiciary
has attempted, over the past few decades, to define who is citizen, immigrant,
immigrant alien, documented alien or undocumented alien and, has categorized
numerous administrative and legal procedures to obtain various classifications
under Immigration and other Federal law.
As a member of the aforementioned population, I can only believe that as long as
our “pledge” and the law that grids it, stand for the equal protection,
liberty and justice for all,
America
shall provide an unprejudiced safe harbor for those who flee oppression and
dictatorship. We émigrés are
seeking to have a secure home to raise our families, contribute to society and
participate in advancing humanity, and its aspiration of mutual understanding
and respect. It is our pledge of
allegiance which keeps us all tied together and has for centuries by concluding
“…liberty and justice for all.”
Being American is accepting
America
for the colorful tapestry it is, respecting émigrés cultures which constitute
the interwoven fabric of our society. We,
by respecting Her laws and those who enforce it, expect the government to
transparently uphold its oath to the Constitution for the protection of all,
whether during times of war or peace. We
are, after all, all hyphenated-Americans.
P. Patrick Ashouri,
Esq., Director
All rights reserved
© 2005 Maleki Foundation
May be reprinted in
its entirety without any editing or modifications.
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