Escaping Reality

“Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” – Emma Lazarus

The American Dream is a concept that is fed to the public from the time they step into school at the age of 5 to their last days of high school nearly 13 years later. Growing up, we are taught to believe that no matter how modest or humble ones beginnings, hard work and perseverance will lead to a successful life. New York City was once the embodiment of this dream. A city established because of its’ gross immigrant population, Manhattan welcomed each new face with the Statue of Liberty, and the promise of a future. Because Lady Liberty was a symbol of freedom she inspired immigrants to believe in the American Dream as well. “It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” (cite) At one point in time, New York City was the American Dream come to life, with neighborhoods such as Little Italy and Chinatown as clear examples of flourishing immigrant communities. Yet now, in a time when America is in a state of turmoil over the recent recession, alongside the ongoing War on Terror, the Statue of Liberty no longer carries that same message of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Declaration).

The history behind the Statue of Liberty is rather reflective of its’ symbolic meaning in today’s context. During the American Revolution, France had given America the statue as a gift in acknowledgement of the friendship between the two countries. In other words, it was a physical representation of the bond the two shared. Even from the start the Statue promoted the idea of accepting other cultures in to American society. “Over the years, the meanings of the Statue have grown until she has become an international icon of freedom and liberty, the most recognizable symbol of democracy in the world.” (http://www.nps.gov/stli/historyculture/stories.htm) Lady Liberty proudly can call Manhattan home as well. Not only was the city founded by immigrants, but the 40% of the population in New York City is made of immigrants today (http://censtats.census.gov/data/NY/04036.pdf). There is still a strong presence of multicultural people in Manhattan. Clearly, time has not altered the essence of what Lady Liberty truly represents.

Manhattan had once provided sanctuary for people across the world. Every ethnic group would escape to New York for their own reasons, whether to flee their home country, seek asylum, or run from religious prosecution. New York was notorious for the rags-to-riches stories, and the romanticized versions of immigrant life in America. Visions of prosperity were no longer unreachable; instead the highest rung of the social ladder was attainable for anyone who possessed the drive. Fast forward to the present, it is apparent that these notions of the American Dream are dim in comparison to current times. Whereas the Statue of Liberty had once opened her arms to everyone, now she seems to turn her head and give a blind eye to the people seeking refuge and a place to call home.

People are often times deceived about the reality of immigration today. In Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration, Hazel Rochman composes a series of heartfelt images illustrating the immigrant experience, as she begs this question of her readers, “does our nation, built by immigrants, have room for more newcomers?” Though the answer is clear through her chosen images, the American Dream is lost in Manhattan. The photo-essay begins with a photo of the Statue of Liberty “with Emma Lazarus’ famous inscription ‘Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses’; opposite is a contemporary poem by Naomi Shihab Nye ‘But not too tired, not too poor /And we will give you …the stares / that say you are not where or what you should be’.” (Rochman) In other words, it seems as though the criteria that once allowed all to venture into this country through our great city, has now become selective. Her suggestion to this idea that America, and the Statue of Liberty, is no longer welcoming our international counterparts are not far from the truth.

This snobbery toward immigrants arriving New York City is not such a new concept. Immigration may have always been a touchy topic for New Yorkers and Americans alike. However, only in trying times do they often get voiced out. Sentiments of hostility only grow toward the immigrant population as Americans are losing jobs and opportunities for new ones, they feel, are being either outsourced or given to some one of ethnic descent. Moreover, along with the lack of jobs, but the constant state of fear and paranoia that New Yorkers have to live in due to the War or Terror, sparked by the events on September 11. Anti-Arab attitudes have sprouted because of this. All in all, immigrants do not need to understand the language in order to take a hint.

In the article “Bring Us Your Tired, Your Poor. Or Don’t.” by Edward T. O’Donnell, he suggests that New York has always been centered on the so-called “natives.” “We have grown so accustomed to thinking of New York as a multicultural mecca, it seems inconceivable that for a century, the city was home to — and often the spawning grounds for — a vibrant, and often vicious, nativist tradition.” (O’Donnell) Through the course of Manhattan’s history, movements against immigrants have been started. Fights, riots, and protests occurred all to prevent the immigrants from entering at all. They felt the presence of these immigrants threatened the current liberties that the people already had, and didn’t want to compromise this for a new round of people. Whether or not this holds any truth, it is clear to see that when difficult times arise, it is easier to turn towards a supposed outsider, and directs the blame towards them.

Similar negative responses to immigration are now being seen among New Yorkers as well. Indicated by the growing number of Immigration laws, set to stop immigrants from coming into our country, have left our foreign counterparts feeling unwelcome as Lady Liberty slams the door to opportunity in their faces. Though a completely different era, the same reasons that O’Donnell had presented are the reasons why New Yorkers have become wary of welcoming new faces to the mixture.

“America’s immigration system is broken and any solution will require bipartisan action by the Congress to reform our nation’s immigration laws. America will be strengthened with a rational and sensible approach toward this issue. Finding resolution in a strict “enforcement only” approach will not settle the issue wisely and adherence to a fractured, existing “rule of law” will not allow us to confront reality. Those approaches, which do not recognize market realities and labor demands, are doomed to failure. We must move beyond the rhetoric on immigration and most importantly, we have an obligation to know the facts.” (Senate Judiciary)

The rapid decline in the American economy has left thousands of people jobless, and just as many homeless. The concern is no longer how to expand our country through a plethora of cultural diversity, but rather the focus is how to save our slowly decaying economy. Therefore, the task of preserving the American Dream has been set aside.

Manhattan, one of America’s most populated city representing a spectrum of nations, home of the Statue of Liberty, the symbol known worldwide for freedom and social mobility, and the essence of what it means to fulfill the American Dream, has long since lost that message. As we turn our heads to newcomers, it slowly shatters the ideals that this country was built on. Immigrants are the foundation of America, and the heartbeat of New York City. As immigration laws become stricter left and right, as a public we too cannot turn a blind eye or we in turn will be the wretched Emma Lazarus refers to. “…The wretched refuse of your teeming shore./Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me./I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

Works Cited

Declaration of Independence. 30 April 2009 <http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm>

O’Donnell, Edward. T. “Bring Us Your Tired, Your Poor. Or Don’t.” The New York Times. 7 May 2006. p4.

Rochman, Hazel. “Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration” National Geographic. 105.16 (2009):

“Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship Hearing – ‘Date Change—Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009, Can We Do It and How?’” Congressional Documents and Publications. 30 April 2009.