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| Great-grandparents Erik and Johanna and Grandmother Freda |
© 2015 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. "It's
a bit of a sore spot, Thanksgiving in Indian country." Robbie Robertson whose
mother was Mohawk raised on the Six Nations Reservation in Canada
For much of our history immigration
was a benefit for both political parties. Then in 1914 something happened that
changed our view of immigrants: the first year of our federal income tax.
It passed in 1913 and in 1914
politicians had a wave of money to buy votes thanks to the people who worked.
It was and is a tax on productivity therefore those who are productive like it
less than those who get the benefits without working.
Before 1914, immigration was open and
appreciated. It brought workers to our country that had to stand on their own
feet or suffer the consequences. Our transcontinental railroads were built by immigrants.
The immigrants who came to America from
the time of our founding until 1914 were people who could and did stand on
their own feet. They added to our country's resources rather than taking
resources. My relatives came from Germany, Ireland and Sweden not for American
charity but for a chance to live a better life.
My Great-Grandfather Erik Greenberg
came from Sweden in 1867 and worked on the railroad. My grandmother was born in
upstate New York in 1891. In 1908 the family moved to New Mexico and
homesteaded land near Three Rivers. He is buried in Alamogordo.
These days we frame immigration as
our charity to the world where we take care of people from other countries. Americans
support them with our productivity. This is also the debate about people who
come to our country without legal status or stay illegally.
The prime objection is that these
people take our charity without giving us in America anything of value. While
that is painting with a wide brush, it is the argument against allowing illegal
immigration in our country. I think America should always be open to those who
bring us something and follow our laws.
I have a world view from having
lived some years abroad and with the ability to speak several languages. I
appreciate other cultures and especially appreciate the melting-pot aspect of
America where for generations people of other lands came and made America
stronger.
This Thanksgiving I am most thankful
for this wonderful country. I know Americans took by force the lands and ways
of life of the inhabitants already in North America. I cannot do anything about
that other than tell the truth. The Thanksgiving story is revisionist history
since it happened around 1620 and the story of Thanksgiving we know came out
during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars when the image of Thanksgiving was used
to bolster American spirits.
We should go out of our way to
enable the current generations of Native Americans to live their lives as they
wish because we know the truth of their loss. As to people who wish to come to
our land without legal status or stay beyond their legal permit, I must oppose
this for a reason not in public dialog currently.
If in the year of my birth, 1950,
President Truman wanted to spend money on refugees that might be fine. So what
is different today? Truman would have been spending that generation's money.
Contrast that to now when people coming
to our country both legally and illegally with the intention to take our charity
are not taking it from us Americans. Rather, they take it from our children and
grandchildren's wealth. We Americans have already spent our wealth, and now are
spending the wealth of future generations.
Future generations should be allowed
to be charitable if they so desire and not forced into it by us already
spending their wealth before some of them are born. We cannot change what was
done to the native populations centuries ago in what is now our country, but we
can stop abusing the next generations.
That is my prayer for this Thanksgiving.
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