The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus - Essay Example

The New Colossus-Emma Lazarus The message from The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus serves in giving hope to the new immigrants in America with majority of immigrants living to the new hope although others faced racism challenges. The message captured in those lines is essential until today as it is in a way used to shape the way the Americans think about freedom and immigration in the current world. The poem is written from a welcoming gesture approach mostly relating to Emma’s awareness of the Jewish persecution in other parts of the world. The author was also cognizant of anti-immigration campaigns across America where nativist Americans objected immigrants. Basing a reflection on Rhodes, the powerful Greek monument made after Greece defeated Cyprus, Emma wants to make a comparison of how the American nation attains its strength. Other than Greece that relied on war and strength to conquer its neighbors, she portrays American as a peaceful and friendly nation that welcomes immigrants who are suffering from all sorts of atrocities around the world (Lazarus 23). Relating American’s statute to the ancient Greek’s Colossus f Rhodes signifies that other than focusing on military superiority, freedom, enlightenment as well as compassion are evidenced across the American nation. The concept of “America as the land of opportunity,” is portrayed in the author’s message and the Statute of Liberty in New York Harbor where the poem is engraved. Rather than using a man and weapons of war, the statute is represented by a woman with a torch signifying change from the norm within societies. It is very direct that the words of the poem serve in promising immigrants to America peace and opportunity. It is however important to note that although the promises in the poem were met by majority of immigrants, some failed to realize the promises but rather faced challenges upon migration to America. Debates over whether America is a land of opportunity as the words in the poem indicate has lived since the 19th century until today. These debates continuously focus on the American people weighing the benefits of migration in the country. It is however important to note that despite some immigrants failing to meet the promises provided in the poem some lived to the dream and to them America became a land of opportunities and the same has continued for their generations. The largest number of immigrants within a period of around forty years reached over twenty million between 18980-1920. The immigrants increased the American population by significant numbers as they accounted to fifteen percent of the total population. The arrival of the immigrants received mixed reactions from the natives whom majority were immigrants n one point in life. The impact of the population of arriving immigrants evoked anxiety and hostility from locals although the immigrants managed to settle at different areas within the country. With time the whole American system from political, economic, religious to industrial and agriculture became influenced by the immigrants. The reasons for the immigrants to America varied from social freedom, political persecution, religious persecution as well as search for employment among others. That made all races and different individuals to migrate to America that was already experiencing political stability and significant growth of industries that provided job opportunities. The major beneficiaries of immigration or those who found a reflection of the words within the poem of Emma mostly relates to the Jews. Italians, Portuguese as well as Britons also found the promises within the poem as they did not encounter racism and communism attached neglect. The persecution of Jews in Russia and Eastern Europe served as the major reason behind the migration of a majority of the Jews across various regions. The impact of persecution of the Jews in Pakistan was also significant high and incomparable to nativist actions that immigrants encountered in America. Since America was a peaceful nation that had no problems in allowing refugees in their country, majority of the Jews fled to America. It is important to note that the first Jews community to migrate to America did not occur during that particular period but many centuries before. In fact, Emma had Jews roots and had lived all her life in America an indication that her family members had immigrated earlier. Consequently, existence of a Synagogue in Northern America in the 1650s is a significant proof of Jews existence in America. Considering that some of the American native populations had a Jewish origin, it was very easy for the Jews to get assimilated in the American population after immigration. Within a short period, they would manage to secure job opportunities and settle where eventually they bought their own land. The other beneficiaries of the promises found in the words of the poem equally had some connections with the American natives. For example, considering the Britons, as the colonizers of America, their influence was already in America with vast numbers already settled in the region. Consequently, majority of the Britons were Protestants and immigrants in the past had already established protestant religion in the region making it easier for the new immigrants to code well with the already established and settled individuals with British roots. It is equally important to note that these major beneficiaries after immigration had another significant benefit in terms of color that made the free from racism. As industrial revolution hit progress during those years, the issue of color played a significant role in determining an individual’s job opportunity. The legislators also actively served in either providing benefits for the immigrants or limiting the immigrants through focusing on benefits derived for the nation and any negative effects that may result from immigration. The concept is equally applied within the current legislation system with control of immigrant still focused to ensure limiting terrorists and other ill-characters. Although the poem’s promises presents encouraging words for immigrants across the world, not all persons received the said promises upon migrating to America. Emma in her poem fails to mention the issue of racism despite it being rampart during the period of her writing. Not only did racism make immigrants to lose the proposed promises of the poem, but also suffer. The government practices equally hindered some immigrants from receiving the promises presented in the poem. Some of the significant government actions relates to President John Adams influence on the Congress In 1798 to pass some act that limited the influence of migration to limit the influence of French Revolution as the immigrants impacted the political aspect of the Americans (Lazarus 127). Consequently, Russian immigrants were on the receiving end as opposed to deriving the opportunities of migrating in America. The issue is attributed to the concept of communism as tension heightened over time among the USSSR and America. Since immigrants from Russia were believed to spread the concept f communism, the federal government regulations focused on means of limiting immigrants from Russia and other countries associated with communism. African immigrants and Latin Americans equally failed to benefit from the promises of the poem as they experienced significant challenges resulting from racism. The issue of blacks and racism had been in the American concept for years and despite the abolition of slavery and that hindered the blacks from realizing the opportunities promised in the poem. The issue relates most to the concept of industrialization where the blacks could only provide cheap labor with little pay. In conclusion, the poem by Emma, The New Colossus is a major piece of work that serves in giving hope to individuals facing various troubles across the world presenting to them the idea of moving to America as it offers hope. The reasons behind the author’s idea is based on the fact that during the period that Emma composed her poem, most of the other regions in the world experienced peace and political instability while America continued to enjoy peace, political stability as well as economic stability (Lazarus 88). Although the poem promises significant benefi0ts for troubled immigrants racism served as the major hindrance towards achieving those benefits. It is however important to note that despite the racism effect, significant numbers of immigrants attained the benefits on arrival in America. Most of the benefits were attained by the Jews who during that time were suffering prosecution in Russia and Eastern Europe. Work Cited Lazarus, Emma, and Valenti Angelo. The New Colossus. United States: Philip and Fanny Duschnes, 2003. Print. Read More