9781422280171

A Home Away from Home The Wall of Honor at Ellis Island is a place of pilgrimage for many thousands of Americans each year. For generations, this little offshore complex in New York Harbor was the gateway to America. Thousands passed through each day as ships disembarked their passengers from distant ports worldwide. Between 1892 and 1947, an estimated 20 million immigrants suc- cessfully passed through to a new life and new opportunities. Their descendants come to the wall today, to remember and give thanks. Immigrants have made America what it is today. The immigrant heritage is shared, in some shape or form, by the vast majority of U.S. citizens, whatever their ethnic background. Even Native Americans originated elsewhere. In the course of the last Ice Age, they left Eurasia, crossing the “Beringia” land bridge (now the Bering Strait) to reach what is now Alaska. That was many millennia ago, of course; most of us can boast no such ancient roots in the land, being comparative newcomers, whatever our race or ethnicity. The history of the United States is one of successive waves of immigration , as popula- tions from different regions of the world flocked to these shores. Historians make a distinc- tion between two different types of immigrants: those “pushed” by problems at home and those “pulled” by the attractions of the host country. The Pilgrims of the 17th century were classically “pushed”—religious persecution in their English homeland sent them in search of a sanctuary across the Atlantic Ocean. Comings and Goings In the year 2015 alone, no fewer than 383 million people passed through U.S. border controls. This bustling activity on our borders, along our coasts, and at our airports has helped spell prosperity for America down the years. Freedom of movement and ease of transportation have been key to the country’s economic success. In the context of September 11, 2001, however, such statistics can seem frightening. Any one of these individuals entering our country could have evil intentions. Yet how are we to find the terrorist needle in a haystack so vast and complex? If we close our borders, we play the terrorists’ game— and impoverish ourselves and our overseas trading partners in the process. The challenge facing those entrusted with the task of maintaining our border and immigration controls is to develop “smart borders” that, while firmly closed to criminals and terrorists, will remain freely open for honest business.

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