Almost all of us are the descendants of immigrants who fled persecution, or were brought to America under duress, or simply sought better lives for themselves and their descendants. The GOP is desperate for you to forget this. Do not.
@rbreich
Unless you're a Native American if you're American you're either an immigrant yourself or descended from immigrants.
@AutisticMumTo3 @rbreich Is it not generally accepted that Native Americans descended from people who migrated from Eurasia to the Americas tens of thousands of years ago? It would seem that they fall under the category of immigrants who "simply sought better lives for themselves and their descendants." They may have been the first to come, but we're all descendents of people who moved around seeking a better life.
@MikeCerm @rbreich
If you want to be that precise everyone is descendent from immigrants or are immigrants unless they live in Africa & have pure African blood. Homo Sapiens' existence started in Africa.
@AutisticMumTo3 @rbreich That's exactly the point! The people coming here today are no different than Cubans 50 years ago, Italians a 100 years ago, or whatever other ethic group however long ago it was that they came in significant numbers, but one political party treats immigration as a existential crisis, and end to life as we know it, rather than a fundamental part of the American way of life since even before the first white settlers arrived.
@MikeCerm @rbreich
The earliest white folk in America on the Mayfair were escaping persecution for their religious beliefs searching somewhere they could be free to follow their beliefs.
@rbreich Duress is a diabolical situation. Those forced into a situation that sees them act in a manner not borne of their own free will, are inevitably scared, desperate and panicked. The guy in the back seat, holding the gun and yelling ‘drive!’ appears very clearly to be Donald Trump. The US has to find a way to push the bastard out without stopping the car.
@itwasntme @rbreich Donald Trump isn't the problem. Americans are the problem. Nearly half of them want a fascist government and a large enough majority of the rest are so mired in religion and greed as to ensure nothing really changes.
@stewartvm @rbreich you might be in the neighbourhood of the mark. I suppose there’s always going to be a Trump. Gotham can’t work without a baddie.
@stewartvm @itwasntme @rbreich America is a failed experiment.
@ClintonAnderson @stewartvm @rbreich Well, it certainly looks like the test tubes and beakers have been dropped and the fridge unplugged, but… failed? Failing, certainly. We must have hope, endeavour and unrelenting determination to do better. Shame and humiliation really need to be applied, with equal doses of fuck off and don’t come back.
@rbreich not the same as current illegal immigratuon.
@konfun @rbreich What made the Mayflower, Roanoke etc. «legal»?
@toriver @rbreich I don’t understand why would anyone be for illegal immigration?
@konfun @toriver @rbreich because we have no sane immigration laws
@konfun @rbreich applying for asylum is not «illegal immigration». Trump bringing over models on tourist visas, however, was. As for who are for, that would be the industries and companies that employ them cheaply.

@konfun @rbreich

people are not illegal, they are undocumented

@konfun yes, in the past what these people did was much, much worse than the current form of illegal immigration
@smn don’t whine how bad the colonists were. If you were truly genuine you would donate all your belongings to indigenious people and go back to your ancestors lands. Since you won’t do it, just stop this hypocritical moral grandstanding.
@rbreich Almost all? We're all immigrants ourselves or our ancestors. Only Native American aren't in sense they migrated to North and Central America over 12,000 years ago. They were the first humans. The rest of didn't show up until 16th century. Three of my four grandparents were immigrants 1910-12.
@wsrphoto @rbreich Are Native Americans not included in “all of us” for some reason?
@quietewe @rbreich They are all of us Americans, but they're the original Americans who migrated to North America over 12,000 years before Vikings and later European showed up. Native Americans are the only ones who can use the term Native. Everybody else are immigrants regardless if born here. JMO
@wsrphoto @rbreich Yes, I agree. You and Reich seem to be saying the same thing, so I was just curious about the distinction you were drawing. Thanks!
@rbreich Even Native Americans came over the land bridge from Russia
@JohnLoader6 @rbreich *from what today is Russia 😉
@rbreich Unfortunately humans, whether Republicans or not, are rationalizing creatures, rather than rational, and there are already replies here showing that. "But today there's 'illegal' immigration" (paraphrase and not my belief)
So, many of them do remember that the US was built on immigration, they just think those were different times ... Hey, that's how they deal with the history of slavery too. Such surprising consistency!
@btuftin @rbreich and many of the previous immigrants did not actually arrive legally
@rbreich All of us are immigrants or descended from immigrants. Every one of us on the planet.
@rbreich The U?SA is full of people who are utterly out of touch with life. We are deluded through mind and life occupation. Peoole need to think as they move.
@rbreich you know very well it's not about "immigrants", just the wrong color ones

@rbreich The previous generation of immigrants seemed to be the most intolerant of the next.

American privilege is an insidious affliction with global consequences.

@rbreich I will not forget. Or let anyone else forget (if I can help it). And I'm Swedish Dane German, AND Ojibwe.🌊 🌊 🇺🇲 🌊 🌊
@rbreich , it's important not to minimize the impacts of nor dismiss the concerns of those affected by mass migration. Recognizing that there is a clear strain on communities and their resources is not xenophobic. It should be an obvious fact; unless that is being called into question.
@rbreich Some came to avoid military service at home and then stayed when they were not permitted to return owing to their lawlessness.

@rbreich so much for that shining city on the hill. Texas doing the devil's work

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/14/texas-three-migrants-drown-us-border-patrol

Texas officials ‘block US border agents from helping three drowning migrants’

A congressman blames the state after it took control of an area known as Shelby park and refused to let US border patrol enter

The Guardian