President Theodore Roosevelt may be the modern-day Liberals Progressive crusader, but there is one thing they could learn from him.
Written shortly before he died in 1919, Roosevelt penned his last public message Keep up the Fight for Americanism.
Our principle in this matter should be absolutely simple. In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else. . .this is predicated upon the man’s becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American… there can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but is something else also, isn’t an American at all.
We have room for but one flag, the American flag . .We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house; and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is a loyalty to the American people.
Our kids in the public school system probably won’t ever read Roosevelt’s letter in their history books. Instead, this is the new America they learn from:
Public Agenda did a survey of foreign-born parents of all races and ethnicities, and they found that the parents strongly supported being part of the melting pot, or assimilating to American values.
79% believed schools should make a special effort to teach new immigrants about American values.
73% preferred schools teach pride in America over pride in one’s ethnic heritage.
65% believed schools should help new immigrants absorb America’s language and culture as quickly as possible, even if their native language and culture are neglected.
