Quotation Of The Day

As the United States deals with an unprecedented surge of migrants

at the southern border, as President Joe Biden acts to increase the

number of asylum seekers to whom he proposes to offer admission

into the U.S., as identity politics and hyphenated Americans

becomes the norm, it is valuable to be aware of a quote by an early

immigrant to the U.S., Hector St. John de Crevecoeur. A French

immigrant to the American colonies he arrived in 1759 and settled in

Orange County, New York. In “Letters From an American Farmer’ he

asked “What then is the American, this new man?”.

He answered as follows:

“He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient

prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new

mode of life he has embraced, the new government he

obeys, and the new rank he holds. The American is a new

man who acts upon new principles… Here individuals of all

nations are melted into a new race of man.”

This is quoted by the distinguished American historian Arthur M

Schlesinger, Jr. in his book “The Disuniting of America” (p.12).

Perhaps in this era of dual and multiple citizenships, Green Cards,

and an alphabet soup of special visas some attention should be paid

to Crevecoeur’s quote.

Garry S. Sklar

Las Vegas, Nevada

May 14, 2021