Thursday, November 21, 2013

Is this a great country? Praise for our immigrants

In November 2005 I wrote a blog about trying to find a place to have my morning coffee on Thanksgiving Day, but everything except White Castle was closed, and their employees were all immigrants. Someone commented that it was ironic that immigrants were working so Americans could enjoy the holiday. To which I answered:

"Yes, that would indeed be the liberal view. The conservative view is that this is the land where immigrants are still welcome, where even when their English is barely passable, they can work if they want to, that they were given the choice, and were probably paid double time for a holiday, even though to them it was just another day. And the happiest guy in the store was probably the developmentally disabled employee, because he really wants to make a contribution to society and White Castle is giving him that opportunity.

And the Asian lady probably has a daughter in college, and the Hispanic who now rides a bicycle to work in the dark is saving for a car, something he'd never be able to afford in the old country.

Is this a great country or what?"

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