Immigrant Assimilation

FLAG OF DISTRESS IS ACCIDENTALLY APPROPRIATE

What have we lost as Americans? I would argue we have undergone some great strides in our thinking, but those strides have gone so far overboard as to cause the death of common sense.

Here is a 1907 quote from Theodore Roosevelt on his ideas on immigrants and being an American:

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American ... There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag ... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language ... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Do we want immigrants here? Heck yes! My families came from Ireland after the potato famine. We are a country founded on immigration.

Do we want immigrants here who insist on maintains a hold on their country's flag and language rather than embracing their new home? Most assuredly NO!

This subject is something I constantly think of when I am asked to choose "To hear instructions in English press 1, to hear them in Spanish press 2. Para instuctiones en Engles selecto numero uno..."

In case you are wondering, here is my stance:
1) Build a wall. Controlling the border is more important than any other single issue regarding immigration.
2) Guest workers: since companies don't mind hiring smugglers to bring in workers and gain the most benefit... let American business do the guest worker paperwork by invitation. The paperwork would be proportionate to the benefit and not a tremendous burden to the small business owner.
3) Family groups where you have a child who is a naturalized citizen by birth deserve special consideration to exporting. I am not for the destruction of families.
4) Illegals who are working can gain an opportunity to apply through their employer for guest worker status.
5) If a guest worker/illegal immigrant breaks the law, they are deported. My gut instinct is that even something as reckless driving would be a deportable offense but I am inclined to think that may be too harsh.
6) Abolish multilingual forms. Allow private agencies to provide this service and translate it for the immigrants for a fee to the immigrant. Don't make taxpayers pay for a failure to assimilate.

Nothing in my list is as harsh as what Mexico does to its illegal immigrants.