I AM WITH EMMA
I am a child
Two generations removed
Of the tired and poor
The huddled masses yearning to breathe free
Who came to this “Golden Land”
Over 100 years ago
Seeking safety, hope,
eventual acceptance
And a good life.
Once one family member
established a foothold
Others came.
One came, went back,
but returned again.
It seems that, at Ellis Island,
Officials especially wanted to know
Answers to these questions:
Do you know a trade?
Do you have money?
($50 was enough)
Where will you work in the United States?
Even people with satisfactory replies
To those queries
Would likely have been
Among the “huddled masses”
Who would work hard,
Achieve moderate to major successes
And reach a level of self-support
That would assure that they would never
“be a burden.”
Their children and grandchildren
Studied hard,
Worked diligently at their jobs,
Took positions in government service,
Fought in wars,
Endured the Great Depression,
Became lawyers, doctors, clergy,
Teachers, professors, writers,
Singers, songwriters, actors,
Artists, Factory laborers, law enforcement,
Business owners, farmers, journalists
Scientists, engineers, technology experts,
And so much more.
Isn’t that history enough for us
To still open our arms to aspiring Americans
As Emma Lazarus did
In her poignant poem,
Written during the “Gilded Age,”
Words that echo down to us
In another Age of Prosperity
For some but not for others.
To honor my immigrant grandparents,
I know
I AM WITH EMMA
And will always be
Because were it not for the courage
Of my recent ancestors
There would no one
Sitting at this computer
In this rabbi’s office
Writing these words.
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