SPEAKING AS A UKRAINIAN-GERMAN-SCOT MUTT

This article in today's Washington Post gives some needed historical context to the current immigration debate. Shorter version: Claims that immigration was somehow more "orderly" in days past are nonsense. Immigration into this country has always been something of a free for all. Wage-depression has always been a genuine concern. And fear of cultural dilution and "race-mongrelization" have always been used to incite hatred toward newcomers.

I think John Winger put it well:

We're all very different people. We're not Watusi, we're not Spartans. We're Americans, with a capital A, huh? You know what that means? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're underdogs, we're mutts! Here's proof: his nose is cold. But there's no animal that's more faithful, that's more loyal, more loveable than the mutt.

Indeed.