American Experience

Since the beginning of first quarter, I’ve been convinced that immigration is the American Experience. Throughout its history, America has always been seen as the land to build a better life and of new opportunities. From the Pilgrims to the most recent group of immigrants, people come here from all over the world to escape from something in their native countries and strive for better lives. We even coined a term, the “melting pot”, as a metaphor for the benefits we derive from being a heterogeneous society created from the assimilation of immigrants to the United States. Recently, Time Magazine featured a picture of the “new face” of America which was represented by an ethnically mixed woman, physically demonstrating how American society has been impacted by immigration. Whether we like it or not, immigration has always been and will continue to be a part of American history and a major influence on our culture. Frankly, I believe that is what makes us a unique and enduring society, and thus so central to the American Experience.