So everyone knows that the US has a goofy immigration policy. For centuries, people have been coming here from other parts of the world, because we have stood as an emblem of opportunity. People have said to themselves, “If I can get to America, I have a better chance of __________” – fill in the blank.

The slogan of the statue of liberty says “Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses…” America has always welcomed immigrants with open arms, recognizing that most of its residents came from once immigrant families. My own grandfather immigrated from Norway at the end of the 19th century, my mom’s sister has traced their mother’s lineage back to a German immigrant named George Rausch who came before the revolutionary war.

With the exception of the First American population, all of us are the descendants of immigrants, and if you go back far enough, the First Americans immigrated from Asia – so none of us are really “natives”. Continue reading →