The Phyllis Chesler Organization
Dial Three for Arabic for Public Assistance in Michigan, USA by Phyllis Chesler August 15, 2013 http://www.phyllis-chesler.com/1132/dial-three-for-arabic-for-public-assistance-in Print Send RSS Share: Be the first of your friends to like this. These immortal words were written by a Jewish-American woman, Emma Lazarus, whose roots are Sephardic; her words are inscribed on the American Statue of Liberty and have welcomed countless immigrants as they arrived at these shores in flight from persecution and in search of a better life. Most were poor, illiterate, traumatized, and could speak no English. The impoverished needed to pass a medical exam and were sent back if they failed it. They also needed someone to vouch for them in terms of housing or employment. Thereafter, if they worked hard (six or even seven days a week for subsistence wages), they could and did become American citizens. Their children would receive an American education—more priceless than the gold that were said to pave the streets. The earliest immigrants to America came from northern, southern, and eastern Europe, from England, Holland, Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, Greece, and East Europe, as far as blood-soaked Armenia. Chinese and Japanese immigrants also came, but in lesser numbers. The masses yearned for the American Dream. Other than the atheists and the political activists, immigrants wanted to keep their religious and ethnic customs--and did so. Churches, synagogues, Buddhist, Sikh, and Hindu temples flourished precisely because America was founded on religious tolerance and this meant a separation of religion and state. Late nineteenth century and early twentieth century immigrants wanted to assimilate. They could not and did not turn to the government for help. Many feared and mistrusted governments. They turned to charities and to self-help associations based on their ethnicity or religion. Most manifested dignity and stubborn pride in the face of adversity—and prospered or floundered along with the rest of the country. http://www.phyllis-chesler.com/1132/dial-three-for-arabic-for-public-assistance-in
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