Speeches & Editorials
The Future of the U.S. as a Nation of Immigrants
Remarks by Ambassador Roland E. Arnall to Dordrecht's Rotary Club Thuredrecht
May 31, 2007
Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and a special welcome to Mayor Bandell of Dordrecht.
It is a great pleasure for me to be here this evening. I applaud Rotary International’s tradition of service, and your dedication to advancing international understanding, goodwill and peace. We have a thing or two in common, you know. Diplomats share those objectives, so I welcome the opportunity to speak with you tonight.
I understand that this year’s theme is "Ready for the Future." Two of the issues currently facing both the United States and the Netherlands are immigration and diversity. So, this evening, I would like to discuss these topics. We can learn much from one another as we work to ensure respect and opportunity for all people in our societies.
It will not surprise you to hear me say that I believe in the power of immigration and the diversity it brings. Integrating newcomers into society is not easy, but it is well worth it.
I also believe that diversity can be an engine for economic growth. I have seen how U.S. society is enriched as it taps into all the talents our residents have to offer. And I have noted that businesses have realized this too, as they now harness the creative power of a diverse workforce to contribute to corporate profitability.
As you may know, the motto of the United States is "E pluribus unum" -- "One out of many." That motto is apt, as the United States truly is a "nation of immigrants. With the exception of Native Americans, whose ancestors were in the Western Hemisphere before the first Europeans arrived, all Americans have a family history of immigration. Some was shameful and forced, like the slave trade that originally brought Africans to American shores. But others came not in chains, but to build new lives.
As an immigrant to the United States, immigration is more than a theoretical issue for me. It is also a personal one. I would like to share some of my history with you.
My mother was a nurse from Czechoslovakia, and my father a Romanian tailor. They immigrated in the late 1920’s to Paris, where I was born. I learned that my mother insisted my father get rid of his accent as a pre-condition to their getting married. His doing so undoubtedly helped save our lives.
Shortly after Germany invaded France in World War II, we moved to a small town called Pont-Les Bains. There, I was raised as a Catholic. I attended Catholic church, and grew up believing we were Catholic. This too, helped save our lives.
In the 1950’s we emigrated first to Canada, and later to California. My father, who believed that there were untold opportunities in America, said, “there are no poor people there.” He was right on the first point. There are untold opportunities. The possibilities for achievement are many and varied.
My family was not unique in choosing the United Sates as our new home. Approximately 70 million immigrants have come to America since its founding more than 230 years ago.
The numbers of new immigrants, and the regions from which they came, have varied, but immigration has been a constant.
During one peak period of European immigration, between 1892 and 1924, 16 million immigrants entered the United States through New York's Ellis Island alone.
Immigration has boomed again in the last 30 years, with most coming from Latin America, Asia, the Caribbean and Africa. The latest American National Census, conducted in 2000, showed that the U.S. is more ethnically, racially, culturally and linguistically diverse than ever before.
In recent years, approximately 700,000 immigrants to the United States have become U.S. citizens each year. In congratulating a group of 50 immigrants who had just been sworn in as U.S. citizens, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, "It does not matter from where you came; it matters where you're going. That is what it is to be essentially American." She also stressed that "Differences can be a source of strength."
I believe that Secretary Rice captured the essence of the U.S. approach to immigration and citizenship. From both my personal experience and my observation of U.S. society as a whole, I can say that most Americans -- immigrants and native born -- do, in fact, care more about how an individual can contribute to society than about the person’s country of origin.
Now, weaving immigrants into the fabric of American society has never been effortless. It requires will. It takes determination. It needs a vision of what we can become if we embody the ideals on which our country was founded.
While it is true that immigration is a defining characteristic of the United States, immigrants have not always been fully welcomed. In fact, almost every new wave of large-scale immigration has led to calls for a slow down in the admission of new immigrants. The public also demanded that those already in the country work harder and faster at "blending-in."
On the whole, however, I am proud to say, the United States has been able to manage the process rather successfully. America is a land that embraces immigrants socially, politically and economically. U.S. society has learned to value its cultural, racial and ethnic diversity.
A Venezuelan-American recently recognized by a government agency as an "Outstanding American by Choice" stated that the United States "respects your cultural heritage and identity, and encourages you to push yourself to the limits of what you can give." I couldn't say it better myself.
The pace and diversity of today’s immigration is changing the racial and ethnic composition of America. This, in turn, challenges our networks for social integration. All of this is complicated by America’s history of slavery, racism, and discrimination towards American Indians and African Americans. But challenges can be overcome. Difficult does not mean impossible. We have seen time and again that where there is a will, there is a way.
The influx of immigrants is a topic of intense discussion. As you may know, the White House and Congressional leaders reached agreement on a new bill to reform the U.S. immigration system.
In 2004, immigration into the U.S. exceeded 1.2 million. Over 250,000 of those who came were "undocumented," meaning they did not have valid visas to reside in the U.S.
That same year, the U.S. population counted more than 34 million people born outside of the U.S., with an undocumented number of over 11 million. The bill I just mentioned is a proposal to ensure orderly immigration and regularize the status of those who came to the U.S. without the proper documentation.
Americans continue to debate how best to deal with immigration. Yet, however contentious the subject can be, many of us continue to believe that immigrants and their children contribute to our nation’s growth and vitality.
California provides a fine example. Mexican immigrants there have played crucial roles in the state’s economy, while immeasurably enriching its social, cultural, and political life.
One success story is that of Antonio Villaraigosa, a friend of mine who grew up in a poor Hispanic neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Today, Mr. Villaraigosa is the mayor of Los Angeles, one of America's largest and most dynamic cities. That is a healthy sign of equality and mobility in our society. Other ethnic groups, including significant numbers of Chinese, Indian Koreans, and Bangladeshis are among the new players in California’s business arena. Antonio Villaraigosa was born in the U.S. What of others who are just arriving?
An estimated one-third of immigrants to the U.S. have university degrees; others arrive with little money, but filled with hope and aspirations of achieving the American dream. In general most of the newcomers have been “adventurous risk takers” in search of a better future. U.S. studies show that one-third are more likely to inter-marry, a key factor in social integration.
Research cited recently in the Washington Post indicates that companies that are more diverse have more customers, greater market share and greater profitability. The researcher found a linear relationship between diversity and business success.
This makes a compelling case for diversity. Businesses diversify their product lines and investments to increase market share and remain on sound financial footing.
Likewise, American CEO’s are embracing diversity as one way to strengthen their bottom line. They have come to see that a diverse workforce is a precious corporate asset.
American firms offer internships and mentoring programs to expand the pool of talent from which they can recruit. Valuing diversity in the workplace is becoming part of the American tradition of inclusion and pragmatism. It is also good business.
Enabling immigrants to find gainful employment and buy their own homes gives them a vested economic interest in their adopted country.
Last November, the Embassy, together with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund organized a conference that brought together of American and Dutch Muslims to discuss such issues as civic participation, identity, youth development, and economic opportunity.
One of the guests was Ted Childs, an African American who worked with IBM almost all his life, and ended up as IBM’s Vice President of Global Workforce Diversity, gave an inspiring speech at the Diversity Dialogues conference sponsored by the Embassy last November.
He told conference participants that in the past, corporations hiring minorities wanted them to "blend in" with the rest of the workforce. Over time, they learned that successful companies encourage minority employees to maintain their ethnic and cultural identities.
He said the message from IBM to its minority employees changed over time from "come work for us and be just like us," to "come work for us and be yourself." Incorporating minorities, including immigrants, into the company from the mailroom to the boardroom transforms the company and helps it become more competitive.
The conference at which Childs spoke was the first American-Dutch dialogue in a series that will focus on integration, managing diversity, education and employment.
I am very excited about this project because I believe that increased communication and cross-cultural understanding between citizens at both the domestic and international levels are in the interest of both our societies.
So, perhaps now you see why I am such a believer in immigration and diversity. They are powerful instruments that can be used for the benefit of all. Our businesses grow. We become better able to navigate in increasingly global times. Yes, change demands flexibility, but this seems a small price to pay if in the end, we all win.