We are all immigrants: True or False? (Obama, states, claim)

[skepticratic]

Originally Posted by want to learn

When there is an article about illegal immigration, someone will tell us that everyone in America is an immigrant and as a result we should be more open minded. Do you agree, are you and the majority of people you know immigrants?

Nope. Perhaps descendants of immigrants, but not all people are immigrants.

[sapphire1]

I came from old New England descendants who've been here for hundreds of years. Someone on Facebook recently told me to 'Go back to Europe".

How can I possibly 'Go Back' to a place I've never been?

The word 'native' explains it all. I am a 'Native American', I'm not Indian, but still native.

[Ohiogirl81]

Not me. I was born in Massachusetts.

My ancestors, on the other hand ...

[Taratova]

Originally Posted by gladhands

My ancestors were kidnapped and brought here against their will, so no, I am not an immigrant nor am I descended from immigrants.

Who kidnapped your ancestors?

[katharsis]

We are all DESCENDED from immigrants (forced or not), but if we were born in a country, we are not immigrants to it.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by Catgirl64

Not an immigrant myself, but certainly descended from them.

/thread.

[wellshii]

True. Doesn't matter though. What matters is now!!

[AnesthesiaMD]

We are all descended from unicellular organisms too.

[Clarallel]

This isn't a very good post. You're not clear whether you're asking specifically only about our acquaintance, or about the larger society.

For me, yes, everyone I know is an immigrant (although that has no bearing on the legal/illegal question). I don't know any Native Americans personally.

[Ivorytickler]

Originally Posted by hooligan

Reducto ad absurdium.


Yes, you could argue that even "native Americans" immigrated here at some point. I think we all realize what is actually being discussed here, however.

The assertion was that we're all immigrants because our ancestors immigrated which is nonsense because,if that's the case, then all people everywhere are immigrants because they can all trace back to some ancestor who immigrated. IMO that's just silly. Of course we can trace back to an ancestor who immigrated. The question is one of how far back you have to go.

Am I an immigrant because my great grandfather was an immigrant? What about dh who traces his ancestry back to the Mayflower? Or the fact that my great grandmother was at least part native American? Where do you draw the line?

You are only an immigrant if you immigrate. Otherwise you're a natural born citizen.