The Statue of Liberty was erected to celebrate the fact that America (the United States) was a land of opportunity where the poor or persecuted people of the world could come and make a new start, needing only the will to contribute.
It was how most of us got here, since we are a nation of immigrant descendants, and very few of our ancestors came here because they were doing so well in their old country.
Possibly the came to practice their religion freely or because they couldn't make a living or raise food.
We accepted all who showed up, although there have been other periods in our history where some of those here felt they didn't want further competition.
The Irish were considered undesirable by many and certainly as each nationality too their turn.
We started restriction on immigration when the belief spread that we were seeing too many of the wrong people coming.
Still as a nation we knew that while we could impose some quotas, we weren't going to exclude all immigrants and that the people coming here were doing so to build a better life or escape persecution.
It has always worked as after one generation they are as American as anyone else, indistinguishable, except maybe for facial characteristics form any American. In fact our President is the Grandson and son of immigrants as are some of our Senators and other important figures.
Now of course we see a plan that would have likely excluded those ancestors with a few exceptions as undesirable since they were poor and could only provide a desire to succeed.
This belief that immigrants only want to come here to get handouts and free benefits is a made up story as history and research clearly shows.
We might have been better off is some of those ancestors were in fact turned away, but even so, as a nation we need to provide a place for those who need opportunity.
Its our heritage.
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