Member-only story
They’re Coming To America!
We’re part of a nation of immigrants
Some Americans hate America. They think it’s a horrible, sexist, racist, homophobic place. I’m not one of those. But I’m also not an American of the rah-rah variety, who thinks the United States is perfect. It’s not.
However, one thing America IS — a nation where most of the people now living here are either immigrants or the descendents of immigrants. Obviously this is not the case for African Americans who were transported here on slave ships, or for Native Americans, who were subject to genocide.
Along with the internment camps during WWII, Jim Crow, etc., these are deep stains on the fabric of our nation.
However, there is also a reason that the United States has a border crisis — because people want to come here.
Other countries, like the former East Germany and the modern day North Korea have walls to keep people trapped within their borders. The United States, however, is one of those places that have walls for a different reason.
Which is not to say that we haven’t been a welcoming place. In fact, with 50.6 million immigrants, America has the highest number in the world. They make up more than 15% of our population of 331.4 million. Only Germany comes close, with 15.8 million immigrants.
