Dear Editor: Ramon Quinn Ramirez’s letter (Sept. 12) was only partially correct. Our ancestors had a hard time. The difference is that they came here legally and if they couldn’t make it here, they returned home. He says that history tell us that the Irish and Italians had a hard time. This is true – in spite of “No Dogs or Irish Allowed” signs, the U.S. Army was able to form the Irish Brigade to fight in the Civil War. The last message from General George Custer before the Battle of Little Big Horn was carried by an Italian soldier from New York.
The street in Manhattan in 1941 where I grew up had families from all over Europe. They all spoke English and considered themselves American. No hyphen.
Today, if you travel around the U.S., it feels as though you are in the City of Babel. We have interpreters at our voting polls, and public schools where English is a second language.
It is true that Mr. Trump talks about closing the borders but no one complains about Mexico closing its southern border to immigration.
If Mr. Trump had been the leader of some other country, there might not have been a reason to migrate.
Edward W. Byrne
I totally agree. When my ancestors came here in the early 20th century, they learned English and spoke it in the home. (Of course, they maintained their ethnic traditions and remained proud of them.) My Greek grandfather was so happy and proud to be an American. They were poor, and my father told me that there were times they went hungry. But they worked hard and persevered. Never would they have accepted “relief,” as welfare was called at that time. I think that Donald Trump is right on regarding his various stances, and I sincerely hope that he will be elected in 2016..