LTHOUGH THE UNITED STATES was founded by immigrants and has as part of its identity the notion that it welcomes the "poor and hud-dled masses,'er1...9.ns ar'e-ambivalel}f aooutTmviig~atio~--
I think this statement really captures the contradiction at the heart of America’s identity. The United States was built by immigrants and prides itself on being a place of opportunity, yet there’s a deep hypocrisy in how it treats new arrivals. People celebrate the idea of the “American Dream,” but at the same time, there’s fear and resistance toward those seeking that dream today. It’s frustrating to see how history repeats itself and how every generation of immigrants faces judgment or exclusion, even though immigration is what keeps shaping and strengthening the country. This tension shows how far the U.S. still has to go in truly living up to its values of equality and inclusion.