A Country of Immigrants: What is an American?

Boalt Law School Dean Christopher Edley moderates a Socratic Dialogue that looks at what it means to be an American and a citizen of the world in the 21st century. It is especially relevant since California is ground zero for the racial and ethnic transformation of this country. [6/2005] [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 9437]

Category:

Education

Tags:

• immigration
• citizenry
• ethnicity

[CRH004]

@CRH004

should be for all!!! But we definitely need to rework the legislature and goverment by far....no questions asked...all of this is just my feelings and opinion

[CRH004]

@CRH004

The "white man" came and forced all the natives into reservations and stole America from them....they warred and battled with them in doing so....how was that fair to the natives? How is it now fair that we argue about what an American is or who America belongs to? "America" was taken from the Natives by force...America should be for everyone...all are welcome....but I do agree that they must follow laws and standards...thats the only way to keep a country stable and organized

[CRH004]

@CRH004

you know to have a large bank account a large family a big house and all the bells and whistles...tons of friends HAPPINESS....everyone wants this. Can you blame them? They are just trying to be happy....yes they are not obiding the law....but just think about them,.... they have a rough life in their country and want to be happy so they come to America....What was America before it was America ? It was free open land that the Native Americans lived on....what happened?

[CRH004]

Lets look at reality....this country has and is becoming a mixed population. Perhaps the term American should be redefined....things change as time progresses. There are many people who will argue till their blue in the face about America belonging to the people who founded or helped create this country and the people who legally immigrated here a century or two ago. Yes that has some merit...however times have changed everyone wants to come here to live the American Dream...

[borderraven]

The Declaration on the Human Rights of Individuals Who are not Nationals of the Country in which They Live (13 Dec 1985) does not give immigrants the right to be in the USA in violation of the laws.

[RichardSwayne]

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door

[tncdel]

My wife's a Hispanic immigrant. She wasn't too "lazy" to obey our immigration law or to learn English.

There are too many foreigners who are willing to obey our laws and learn English to tolerate those with no respect for our laws, language or country.

I urge all who oppose the illegals to contact their federal reps and Obama's office as I have already done, demanding NO amnesty, and to change the "press 2 for Spanish" phone menus to "Press 2 to report an illegal to I.C.E."

[TheresaAlways]

Yes, technically-speaking anyone living in North, Central or South America is American.

But NOT necessarily a citizen of the particular American country called the United States. And in the context we are using the word American here, it is to mean someone who is a citizen of or otherwise legally here in the U. S.

Now that we have clarified that an immigrant is a foreigner who enters the USA in accordance with its IMMIGRATION laws; hence: an "immigrant."

An illegal is an INVADER.

[beanchao]

an american is someone born in the American continent.

[ferrarriguy]

If anyone comes into this country illegally, he is a CRIMINAL, how hard is that to understand????? Illegal means criminal, get it through your head and if you help them, then you are a traitor to this country