We’re All Immigrants

You might know . . .

America is a nation of immigrants.

But maybe you’ve never thought about . . .

The phrase “we’re all immigrants” erases the many Americans who did not immigrate here—especially those who are Native Peoples and those who were brought here against their will as slaves. Many Americans are comfortable celebrating immigrants who came to this country decades ago—immigrants from Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavia, for example. In fact, we have festivals, national observances, and commemorative months for many of these immigrant groups. But we don’t have those sorts of celebrations for newer immigrants from places like Syria, Somalia, or El Salvador.

“We were not brought here to be made citizens. We were brought here against our will. We were not brought here to enjoy the constitutional gifts that they speak so beautifully about.”

Malcolm X

According to the Census Bureau, there are about 3.8 million people in the United States who identify solely as American Indian and Alaska Native, about 1.2% of the US population. When Europeans first came to America, it is thought that roughly 10 million Native Peoples lived in the area that would become the United States.

Source: US Census Bureau

Ethnic and racial groups with recognized commemorative months: Blacks, Greek-Americans, Irish-Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Jewish-Americans, Latinx people, German-Americans, Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans, and American Indians.

Source: Wake Forest University

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO
  • Attend a local festival or commemoration for an immigrant group to which you do not belong. Get to know one new person at the event, and ask that person his or her story.
  • Research the migration story of your family.
  • Find out which immigrant groups are present in your community. A good place to start is by looking up Pew Research Center demographic data. Then encourage your local and state government officials to pass commemorative legislation to honor those groups. See page 145 for a helpful guide on contacting your representatives.

During the trans-Atlantic slave trade (1525–1866), 12.5 million Africans were shipped to North America.

Source: The Root

 

REFLECTION & JOURNAL SPACE