Under the Gaze of Lady Liberty A Homecoming for an Immigrant s Grandson Richard P. Cassetta A Visit to the Statue of Liberty With My Son Alex
On a recent trip home to Rye, New York for my father s birthday, I paid a visit to a beautiful lady that I felt I had known my whole life. I had seen her from a distance dozens of time, standing tall and proud in New York Harbor, arm stretched toward the heavens holding a torch of freedom. I learned about her from my parents and grandparents, and studied about her in grade school. She has welcomed millions of immigrants to our shores across the generations, including my mother s father, who immigrated to America from Spain in 1920. She was a gift from the people of France to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the birth our nation, and she symbolizes the essence of what it has meant to be an American since before the Pilgrims landed near Plymouth Rock in search of religious freedom and economic opportunity. As Alex and I were planning our trip to New York, it was a pleasant surprise when he asked me if we could visit the Statue of Liberty while we were there. Alex said that visiting the Statue of Liberty was on his bucket list. My wife Tonia and I adopted Alex and our other son, Valery, from Russia. Like my grandfather, the first place our sons set foot on American soil was New York City, and also like my grandfather, our sons saw the Statute of Liberty on their journey into New York, although they saw her from the air rather than the sea, as my grandfather had. The town I grew up in, Rye, is only twenty miles north of New York City, so Alex was shocked when I confessed to him that I had never been to the Statute of Liberty either, and that making a pilgrimage to the Statue of Liberty was also on my bucket list. We took the ferry from New Jersey to Liberty Island. It was a cool, sunny, and clear day, and we got a wonderful view of the Statute of Liberty as the ferry approached. 2
Tourists from different lands were with us on the ferry, peering with awe and excitement. I felt both gratitude and pride to be an American that day. I felt gratitude to live in a country that had provided so many opportunities for me and my family. And I felt pride to live in a country that provided hope and inspiration to so many people around the globe, as evidenced by the excitement of the tourists who were visiting the Statue of Liberty with us. I thought a lot about my grandfather that day. I wondered how he felt as his ship approached the Statue of Liberty. I m sure he felt excitement but also fear as he started a new life in a strange land in which he did not speak the language. He worked hard his whole life in factories, and helped build a better future for his children and grandchildren. I have many loving memories of my grandfather. He passed away when I was a boy, and I never thought to thank him for having the courage and determination to come to America. I m not sure I appreciated as a boy what a gift my grandfather had given us, but I thought a lot about it on the day Alex and I visited the Statue of Liberty. We looked up in awe as we walked around Liberty Island and took pictures of the Statute of Liberty from different angles. We read the plaques that recount her history and what she symbolizes. We talked about what it means to be an American and how blessed we were to live in a land with so many freedoms and so much opportunity. We gazed in wonder across the harbor at the skyline of one of the world s great cities. Several months after this inspiring homecoming to New York, I first learned about the plight of the tens of thousands of children who had fled Central America to come to the United States. I learned that they were being held in detention centers in Texas, 3
Arizona, and New Mexico, and that some were being bused to other states. It was with great sadness that I saw on television images of protesters yelling at the buses carrying some of these children and telling them to go home, they were not welcome. I understood the frustration of people at the apparent lack of foresight, planning, and communication on the part of the federal government in handling this situation. At the same time, I was saddened to see this frustration boil over and be directed toward the children. The American people are among the most kind, generous, and compassionate people in the world, and we have always prided ourselves as a country that welcomes people looking to build a better life for themselves and their family. Indeed, to a large extent, we are a nation of immigrants. Except for those descended from native peoples, all of our ancestors, at some point in history, came from foreign lands. As the plight of these Central American Children evidenced, our nation s immigration policies are in need of fixing. In order to make the changes necessary to have sensible and fair policies that will preserve our heritage as a nation that welcomes immigrants, while at the same time ensures the safety and security of our citizens will require moral leadership and courage. Unfortunately, these qualities seem to be in very short supply in our political leaders these days. I strongly disagree with the narrative that I have heard coming from both sides of the political aisle. For example, I disagree with those on the left who try to portray those who advocate increasing border security or doing more to enforce our existing laws as anti-immigrant. Any sovereign nation has a right to secure its borders and ensure its 4
laws are followed so that there is a fair process for everyone, including those who are seeking to immigrate to our country and become United States Citizens. I also disagree with those on the right, however, who suggest that most immigrants, including, for example, the Central American Children, are looking for a free ride or worse, are all part of criminal gangs. To be sure, there are criminals who have been entering our country illegally, which is one reason why we need to increase border security. However, I believe that most of the immigrants who come to our country are honest people who have come here seeking the same thing that my grandfather sought and that millions of other immigrants have sought throughout our nation s history: freedom and opportunity. I pray that leaders with the courage to stand up for what is just will come forward and work to improve our immigration laws and policies. I pray these leaders will work to ensure the safety and security of our citizens and to ensure a fair process for those seeking to become American citizens. And I pray that Lady Liberty s torch of freedom will always burn brightly, and that she will continue to represent to our nation and the whole world what she has represented for generations. August 1, 2014 5