Wait, how can assimilation be a Founding Principle? Did the earliest British subjects assimilate in the Colonies? They did indeed. Immigrants came to this country for the promise of self-determination, freedom and property. The Colonies pulled together for over 150-years before becoming an independent Nation, solving issues that could not wait for the King or his ministers.
This Nation was settled by all creeds, all colors and many nationalities. They had a single issue, they wanted freedom and liberty. We wanted to control their own destiny. They did not want to be beholden to anyone at any time, there was no royalty. And yes, there were issues. Slavery was an institution that deeply concerned the Founders and the Framers – how could man be created equal if there was slavery? They would find a way.
The Founders understood that it took time for immigrants to become Americans. They wanted smart people from Europe to help grow the Nation. They encouraged immigration, as did the Framers. However, they understood that learning the habits, the basic beliefs and the tenets of a Republic required an emersion into the Nation. And it took a seasoning period. For years after arriving, there would always be comparisons to their homeland, and that needed to be reconciled with the spirit of the new land.
The Framers placed a clause in the Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution, that a House of Representative must be a citizen for 7 years and a resident of the State. Why? The individual needed to assimilate, not only as a citizen of America but as a neighbor in the State. That takes time, it is not instantaneous.
In Article 1 Section 3 of the Constitution, the Framers dictated that a Senator must be a citizen for at least 9 years and an inhabitant of the State. Why? They wanted the Senator to understand the underpinnings of the Republic, as well as the State. It is interesting to note that the word inhabitant is far more restrictive than resident. It takes years to be an inhabitant, it consumes your family identity, it is who you are, it is everything. If we valued the meaning of the word, then Bobby Kennedy would never have been a Senator from New York, and neither would have Hillary Clinton. They were not inhabitants of that State but let that go.
Naturalization effected the Presidency as well. The President has to be born to a mother and father who were citizens of the United States, by any means. The Framers insisted on a 2nd generation American as the leader of this great land.
This Nation remains an experiment, nothing has ever been done like this in the history of mankind. But for the experiment to continue, we must be united in the core beliefs of this Nation, and that takes time, it takes a desire to embrace the pillars of liberty. It requires that there be a naturalization program.
Due to the importance of Naturalization, the Constitution gave sole responsivity to the Congress, not the President. The statues say that to become a citizen, one must have good moral character and be able to read, write and speak English. There are no exceptions, except for the illegal interventions of rogue judges. The Naturalization process says that one must know the history of this Nation and be fluent with civics. There are only 100 questions, of which the candidate is given 10 random questions. A passing grade is 6 correct.
Upon taking their oath as a citizen, the candidate must give up all allegiance to any other Nation or sovereignty. They must turn in all foreign issued passports and identification papers. Then, the candidate takes the oath, swearing allegiance with the United States and swearing that they will serve if called upon.
It takes time to be part of the team, but the benefits of a United States citizenship is worth it. The process is called assimilation. Assimilation means that we are all on the same playing field, we may not agree, but we are teammates. Assimilation creates a sense of community, a level playing field on which we can all compete and work together. Assimilation results in a simple identity question; are you an American or not? Nothing else matters, not creed, not color not native nationality.
But as with all other Founding Principles, the process of Naturalization and assimilation are too restrictive. Progressives want change, marxist want chaos. The current President, and some before him, want to reward illegal activity with immediate citizenship. That is wrong for all who have followed the Law, which is imperative in a Nation who believes in equality under the Law. Lately members of Congress are calling for blanket amnesty, without any mention of the Law or meeting the terms of Naturalization.
Immigration is the lifeblood of this great Nation, but only if it is legal, uniform to all and within established Law. Assimilation is the glue that binds us all together, even though we come from different parts of the world.
Lackadaisical enforcement of laws and preferential treatment of some; that is a recipe for disaster. That is the direction that immigration is heading, and it is wrong for We the People. It started down the wrong path when Senator Ted Kennedy, the lion of the Senate, got an immigration policy passed that favored those foreign to our ideals, versus attracting those with similar values. Which would you prefer? Have you seen a shift in American values over the past decades?
Today, we have open borders in violation of immigration laws. We are “attracting” people, hopefully families, that want to work, provide for their families and accept the responsibilities of being an American. But the current administration has thrown away the book, a book meant to protect the citizens of this Nation. And sadly, in place of that book, “free benefits” have been placed in the hopes that non-compliant immigrates will vote progressively and often.
Recently, the President noted the flood of refugees from Communist Cuba, people fleeing known oppression. But they will not be allowed political asylum, they will be sent to other Nations. Why? The answer is easy, they would probably be conservative voters.
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