America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

America - Essay Example The idea of America brings to ones mind the picture of a land that promises liberty, equality and fairness, economic well being, innovation and most of all, individual freedom. The Statue of Liberty in a way depicts the idea of America. The Statue of Liberty stands for enlightenment and freedom from oppression. The inscription on the Statue of Liberty reads, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." This very inscription shows how America is the place for all those who want to be free, it welcomes one and all. By viewing this skeptically one may wonder if this was only the way America was intended to be, or does even the common man today look at America the same way. Is the common American ready to welcome immigrants into his country with all his heart The common man views immigration more as a source of job loss, terro rism and inter racial unions. Making place for immigrants has its advantages and disadvantages. Immigrants bring variety into the country, they broaden the horizons. Can you imagine eating only burgers for the rest of the life instead of the varieties of Italian pastas, pizzas, Chinese noodles, sushi, Mexican tacos and the spicy Indian foods Hollywood movies wouldn't be the same without Al Pachino, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas or Jackie Chan. It's not just the food or films; without the eastern country's immigrants, America would be devoid of the eastern concept of spirituality. America sure follows a religion, but in spite of the existence of a religion, there are so many who can not find peace through religion alone. It was the eastern culture that introduced the concept of finding peace within oneself to the western world. Without the eastern immigrants, America would not even be aware of the existence of Deepak Chopra. One would have to travel thousands of miles to reap the benefits of Yoga or Tai Chi, wher eas today, it's available around the corner. The variety is not just in terms of spirituality, it holds good even for the materialistic side of life. As it is a well known concept that America is not a saving economy; it is a spending economy. In the recent years, the average household debt of an American has exceeded the average household savings. Immigrants from countries with a conservative approach may bear their influence on the American way of savings, even though to a very small extent. The economic stand on the issue of immigration is two sided. It is regarded as a boon so far as the immigrants set up their business in America and create more job opportunities, but on the other hand is considered a curse as the immigrants take away the opportunities otherwise available to an American. But looking at this issue with a broader view, one would realize that immigration whether an economic boon or a curse to America, sure is beneficial considering the economic progress of the wor ld in large. The developing countries especially need the business of America to progress on the path of economic development. Over the years, American society has been described in many ways, one of which is as the 'melting pot'. The early twentieth century debate about the 'melting pot' evolved as Jewish writers envisioned an America that might better accommodate Jews. Their historic experience as a minority prompted them to take the lead in