America at 250: We must remember we are still a nation of immigrants

In 1958, at age 14, I learned a personal lesson about patriotism on a Boy Scout pilgrimage to Europe.

Our first stop was the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels. As we viewed the various pavilions, of course we stopped at the United States pavilion first. There was perhaps a little disappointment because we saw a very honest portrayal of the problems America faced at the time: racial divisions, housing needs, poverty and an economy that barely supported a nation of our size.

In contrast, when we visited the Russian pavilion, all one could see were the glorious achievements of Russia, which had survived the Second World War and taken its place among the great nations of the world.

From the exhibit and the guidance of the priest-chaplain, I learned that America was a self-correcting nation because she acknowledged her shortcomings and found ways to overcome them.

In the same year as the Brussels World’s Fair of 1958, John F. Kennedy wrote a book titled “A Nation of Immigrants.” It was not a history of immigration, but rather a prelude to his efforts in Congress to find the path to reform the deficiencies of the discriminatory Immigration Act of 1924, which was still influencing immigration.

As we mark our 250th anniversary as a nation, we are returning to the same playbook that was used in 1924 to shut down most future immigration.

The Founding Fathers followed the unwritten law in the practice of granting citizenship to all who were born here, presuming their desire to become citizens and contribute to the nation of immigrants. Our nation was built on immigrant labor and on the desire of immigrants to achieve the American dream, which was basically to live in freedom and to support their families.

On this 250th anniversary, we celebrate our democracy and our achievements as a nation, but at the same time we can never forget that it was because of immigration that we have achieved so much.

If we wish America to continue being great, we must deal with the problems that still afflict us. Immigration reform is necessary to preserve our moral place among nations. America’s greatness came from our concern for other nations in the world and for welcoming those immigrants needed to enhance our progress in a free and open society.

We cannot deny our heritage as a nation built by immigrants. We cannot watch our democratic institutions erode to the point where no compromises can be found, which enables our society to overcome the polarization that divides our nation.

Of course, there are other related issues on the international scene, especially those regarding basic human rights.

Unfortunately, our country sometimes falls short of exhibiting commitment to our founding principle of equality among peoples: namely, the heritage of slavery, racial discrimination, high levels of poverty and lack of economic opportunities.

The positive international developments of the post-World War II era are sometimes viewed as because of the Pax Americana (Latin for “American Peace”).

However, in this new century, we need to find the unique contribution that we can make to the nations of the world. Peace is not merely the absence of war, but an era when international cooperation becomes the basis of a lasting peace and prosperity.

The greatness of America not only consists of our achievements, but also our ability to correct our deficiencies. This is true today, more than ever, especially as we look toward the future and recognize our moral position among nations. Especially on the issue of international migration, we as a nation can take the lead to make this constant phenomenon of our time a positive contribution to the welfare of all nations.

Our nation could lead by the example of our ability to integrate immigrants, as no nation of the world ever has, and which has made us a great nation.

If we wish to maintain that greatness, we must return to one of the causes of our greatness: regulated and generous immigration.

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