Dear Editor:
There has been a lot of recent hostile rhetoric against immigrants, people of different races, and foreigners in general, with much of it coming from the nation's current president. However, without such a vast mix of people, this nation would not exist as we know it, nor would we have the array of scientific, technological, medical and cultural advances.
Everyone, with the exception of those who are 100 percent Native American, is in some way a product of immigration. Whether it is a matter of years or centuries, we can trace our ancestry to another country, often to another language, different customs - some of which were continued after arriving here. Despite the differences, people worked together to forge railroads and canals, build towns and cities, open shops, develop educational standards, etc., to live as Americans.
Here are a few examples of the things we take for granted that are the result of either different cultures, immigrants, or foreign influence:
We are now in the Christmas season. Without immigrants, we would not have Christmas trees (from Germany), or the most popular Christmas carol ever written, "Silent Night" (from Austria).
Popular Latin music and dance would not be here, which includes the Spanish, Portuguese and African influence in South and Central America. We would not hear music from other countries nor read some of the greatest literature ever written.
In the field of health, Native Americans used willow bark for pain relief long before pharmacists created aspirin. Yoga (from India) has become a popular form of exercise and meditation in the U.S.
The Statue of Liberty was designed and built in France, then shipped to America upon completion. The poem that represented the statue's message of hope and welcome was written by Emma Lazarus, a Jewish woman whose ancestors had originally come from Germany and Portugal.
Our own community of Jefferson City would certainly be at a loss without immigrants or different races. We would not have the Southside historic district of Old Munichburg where German immigrants settled in the 19th century, nor would we have Lincoln University, founded by African-Americans after the Civil War who, because of their race, did not learn to read until they were adults.
Of course, it is important to guard against those who want to do us harm, but we shouldn't destroy the good of America in the process.