A rational, just, and moral immigration policy for the United States

The great “melting pot” which made Americans out of past generations of immigrants must now make Americans of the 11,000,000 undocumented immigrants in our Country today if we are to restore the post-Word War II hegemony of the American Economic engine.

What made those earlier generations of immigrants Americans was an uncomplicated, straightforward path to citizenship. Learn to speak and read English. Understand the meaning and intent of the Declaration of Independence and the basic purpose and meaning of the Constitution and its Amendments. Learn how to participate in the American system of government. Then demonstrate your understanding and readiness to become an American through some sort of “examination.”

The United States of America is still the place where many people throughout the World would like to live, work, and raise their families. Many are willing to risk their lives to get here and once here do anything necessary to stay.

The undocumented among us

There are more than 11 million undocumented immigrants that have been counted and probably millions more who have not been counted. Many of their children are now native-born Americans. Our undocumented immigrants contribute substantially to American society but their undocumented status means that in most cases they are employed “off the books,” do not pay income taxes, and can’t earn social security credits.

Their undocumented status also means they must live secretly in ghettos reminiscent of Eastern European shtetl which enabled their mostly Jewish inhabitants to survive the pogroms and persecution of Czars and Emperors before World War I.

Their undocumented status means they will never become assimilated into American life and culture the way past generations of immigrants did who passed through Ellis Island before WW II eager to start on the path to become American citizens.

Lessons from the early waves of immigration

The immigrants  before World War II quickly learned to speak enough English to work and they soon learned to read the tabloid newspapers by working out the captions under the photos. The photojournalism of Life Magazine became their gateway to the American pop literature of the Saturday Evening Post. The women who could afford to stay at home learned English in the kitchen from their school age children.

When radio entered most homes during the 1920s, the assimilation process accelerated. WEVD, “the station that speaks your language,” presented shows for the minority populations of New York City—from the Yiddish-speaking Jews on the Lower East Side and the Chinese in Chinatown off “The Bowery” to the African Americans and Hispanics in Harlem and the Bronx; and the Italians, Germans, Poles, and Irish in between—celebrating the diversity of cultures that existed within New York and easing the transition to American English.

While learning to speak English and interacting with the “Americans” who had been here a generation longer than they had, each wave of immigrants enriched American culture with foods from their homeland—bagels, lox, pastrami, corned beef, pasta, pizza, provolone, mozzarella, cheeses and cheesecakes of many varieties, schnapps, tacos, burritos, … Expressive, colorful descriptive words, even vulgar epithets from their native languages were quickly picked up by the rest of Americans and grew the vocabulary of American English.

A rational, uncomplicated path to citizenship

The basic elements of a rational immigration policy which can quickly assimilate the rapidly growing undocumented immigrant population in the United States can be summarized in the following just and equitable path to citizenship for each of the disparate groups of undocumented immigrants to eventually become American citizens.

Undocumented immigrants already living and working here

• Register and receive a “green” card and proper social security number. Then go back to work on the books and pay your personal income taxes while your employer pays their share of withholding and other employment taxes.
• At the end of two years demonstrate your ability to speak basic English at the Fifth or Sixth grade level and read basic English at the Fourth or Fifth grade level and renew your green card for three more years.
• At the end of five years demonstrate your ability to speak basic English at the Ninth-grade level and that you understand American History and the basic elements of American citizenship at the Twelfth-grade level. If you have no felony or serious misdemeanor convictions on your record and pass an examination, go to the Courthouse and become a “naturalized” American citizen.
• The alternative path is to take your Honorable discharge from the American armed forces after six years of military service or sooner if the discharge is based upon a service connected disability and go directly to the Courthouse to become a naturalized American citizen.

Undocumented minor children of undocumented immigrants

• Register and obtain an education green card for as long as you remain in school in good standing.
• After graduation from high school or some higher level of education and upon entry into the work force, obtain a three-year green card. At the end of that period, provided you have no felony or serious misdemeanor convictions on your record, you can become a “naturalized” American citizen.
• Alternatively, an Honorable Discharge following six years of military service unconditionally qualifies you for citizenship.

Native born children of undocumented immigrants will be considered citizens under the existing law in effect at the time of their birth.

Those wishing to enter the United States and apply for citizenship

• There will be no racial, ethnic, or country of origin limitations on applications for entry into the United States for the purpose of becoming American citizens.
• You must have a financially responsible sponsor who is an American citizen or NGO (non-government organization) who will accept responsibility for providing social services for you including shelter, maintenance, and health care for at least five years.
• You will be considered a “dependent” of your sponsor for tax purposes and health care coverage.
• Applicants will be subject to and must cooperate with a thorough background check prior to entry and monitoring during their period of temporary residency.
• Upon approved entry into the United States, each applicant will enter upon the same path to citizenship as any other undocumented immigrant.

Violate these conditions or fail to complete the requirements for citizenship in the time allowed, the green card can be revoked and the immigrant deported!

While not satisfying either the open border or closed border extremists, this is a workable solution to a politically intractable problem.

The English language and citizenship education requirements will prevent ethnic Balkanization of the country and assure rapid assimilation of the immigrants.

The plan is simple but not simplistic. It is humane, fair, and reasonable. It offers all those desiring to live in the United States the opportunity to become American citizens by contributing to our Economy and enriching our culture.

The United States of America is big enough for everyone willing to earn their citizenship as contributing members of American Society.