immigration Quotes

“Do you know what a foreign accent is? It’s a sign of bravery.”

“perhaps we are all immigrants trading one home for another first we leave the womb for air then the suburbs for the filthy city in search of a better life some of us just happen to leave entire countries”

“To the victims of homophobia, patriarchy, street harassment and intolerance: don’t worry, we’ll put a lid on Muslim immigration.”

“Every American who ever lived, with the exception of one group, was either an immigrant himself or a descendant of immigrants.”

“America was to be the great experiment.”

“Immigration is by definition a gesture of faith in social mobility. It is the expression in action of a positive belief in the possibility of a better life. It has thus contributed greatly to developing the spirit of personal betterment in American society and to strengthening the national confidence in change and the future.”

“In sum, then, we can see that as each new wave of immigration has reached America it has been faced with problems, not only the problems that come with making new homes and learning new jobs, but, more important, the problems of getting along with people of different backgrounds and habits.”

“Immigration policy should be generous; it should be fair; it should be flexible. With such a policy we can turn to the world, and to our own past, with clean hands and a clear conscience.”

“The opportunities that America offered made the dream real, at least for a good many; but the dream itself was in large part the product of millions of plain people beginning a new life in the conviction that life could indeed be better, and each new wave of immigration rekindled that dream.”

“The woman says: We have your son in Texas, but $1,200 is not enough. $1,700.”

“Thank you for returning to your country.”

“Chiapas, he says, ‘is a cemetary with no crosses, where people die without even getting a prayer.‘”

“They really screwed me up.”

“Can you imagine how far they have come?”

“We’ll have to leave the baby behind.”

“The conversation is awkward. His mother is a stranger. This is probably expensive.”

“She stares awkwardly down at the kitchen counter. Then, quietly, she tells me about four other children I never knew existed.”

“The single mothers who are coming to this country, and the children who follow them, are changing the face of immigration to the United States.”

“This is what they get for doing this journey.”

“It’s wrong for our government to send people back to Central America. If we don’t want to be stopped from going into the United States, how can we stop Central Americans in our country?”

“She (Olga) reaches out with her mangled hand. ‘God needs you. He doesn’t need you with all your limbs. He needs your heart. You have much to give.‘”

“In spite of everything, Enrique has failed again - he will not reach the United States this time, either. He tells himself over and over that he’ll just have to try again.”