Immigration, Part II: Thoughts on Assimilation

Now, when I talk about our “culture,” I speak to America’s language, literature, history, national heroes, customs and most importantly, religious values. In the context of the debate over immigration, the question becomes thus: Are immigrants willing to assimilate into our unique American culture, shaped by the various elements mentioned here? Or is the expectation that America is to bear the burden of bending and molding to cater to the amalgam of countless world cultures knocking at our borders' door? Our cultural distinctiveness as Americans has been brewing for over two centuries in a unique cauldron, a cauldron that contains some of Western Civilization’s most precious ingredients. To be sure, there have been rough patches and obstacles along the way. We are far from perfect, but our impressive list of monumental achievements over the relatively short period of time that we’ve existed as a nation certainly distinguishes us in world history. The majority of Americans insist that newcomers, while certainly welcome, must recognize that if they want to stay and reap the fruits of a good life in a free society, they must not only respect our distinct heritage but, going even further, allow themselves to be incorporated into it. All of this will require a certain “letting go.” Now, while “letting go” is not coterminous with the wholesale abandonment of one’s native culture, it certainly does require at least a modicum of humility and appreciation.

Further, the United States has a distinct political culture, as spelled out in our founding documents and the Federalist Papers. The cornerstone of that culture is rooted in the idea of limited government and a rugged individualism that places a high price on innovation, independence and self-reliance. The pandering of Democrats aside, immigrants to America should not arrive here with the expectation that the government exists to take care of them. This is emphatically not a nanny state. When I spoke earlier about the need for immigrants to "let go" of certain things, the victim/entitlement mentality would be an ideal place to start.