Recently, the eighth grade at our middle school completed a unit on old and new immigration in America. The following is my response to the essay question at the end of the unit.

In 1868, Emma Lazurus published a poem called The New Colossus in reference to the Statue of Liberty and immigrants of the time. The poem concludes with, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

The philosophy of the New Colossus is no longer valid. While The New Colossus represents America’s freedom and liberty, the philosophy is inaccurate and there is controversy in America regarding immigrants.

The philosophy of the New Colossus is inaccurate because there is a quota system. With a quota system, only a certain number of people are allowed to immigrate into America. In 2006, 290,000 immigrants immigrated into America. That means that not everyone can be a legal immigrant. No matter what that immigrant’s situation is. Not even if that immigrant can benefit the country. If the quota is reached, no one else can enter America. This proves the philosophy is not valid because the philosophy says to send immigrants to America for an opportunity. How can the immigrants have an opportunity if they are not allowed into America?

Another reason why the philosophy of the New Colossus is not valid is because immigrants have to pay to become legal immigrants in America. Because immigrants have to pay, those who don’t have enough money to be legal in America are rejected and deported back to their homeland. Some immigrants who know they don’t have enough money try to smuggle themselves in with fake IDs. This creates illegal immigrants. This proves that the New Colossus is not valid because the philosophy says to “Give me your tired and poor.” How is that valid when America rejects the poor?

Finally, another reason why the philosophy of the New Colossus is not valid is because Americans are not always open minded. Americans aren’t open minded because Americans feel that immigrants are hurting the economy and America as a whole by taking jobs away. A recent pole revealed that fifty-nine percent of Americans feel that legal immigrants are taking jobs away from them. Those legal immigrants paid and learned their way into America. Those immigrants deserve the same rights as a natural U.S. born citizen to earn a job. This proves that the philosophy of The New Colossus is not valid because the philosophy is saying that everyone deserves a chance. How can legal U.S. immigrants have a chance if America as a whole isn’t being open minded?

In conclusion, the philosophy of The New Colossus is not valid because of the Quota System, because immigrants have to pay, and because many Americans are not open minded. Doesn’t America know that immigrants have a dream and deserve an opportunity? The philosophy of The New Colossus says they do. But right now, immigrants don’t have much of an opportunity. That is why the philosophy of The New Colossus is not valid.