" In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birth place, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...there can be no divided allegiance here.
  Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. 
  We have room for but one flag, the American Flag... we have room for but one language here, and that is the English language....and we have but one sole loyalty and that is loyalty to the American people."
                                                                         - Theodore Roosevelt  1907

I know some of you will find this quote to be offensive, outdated or ignorant of the world in which we live today. I don't. I have brought up the issue of bi-lingual education before as it pertains to keeping us from being one people. Apparently this has been a problem longer than I thought.  

But to read the words of this most eloquent man is to understand that there is no racism involved with this subject, "he shall be on an exact equal with everyone else". This in no way indicated a second class citizenship for "the immigrant who comes here in good faith" so long as they "become an American and assimilates himself to us". Is this last line to much too ask. It is not too much to ask in Mexico, France, Russia, Germany, Spain, Italy and the list of industrialized nations and third world countries goes on. As Roosevelt continues, "it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man (remember he is talking about the immigrant who comes here in good faith and assimilates to us) because of creed, or birth place or origin."

Some will argue that assimilation is too difficult a requirement of the immigrant. I disagree whole heartedly. It is his duty should he decide to come here and bare the fruits of our free society. His treatment in all thing American are as Roosevelt says. "predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet American, and nothing but an American."

Why does the former President stress this above all other things, "to become in all facets American"? The second section of this quote spells it out clearly. ",there can be no divided allegiance here."

This point is the real sticking point for most people aside from the often tossed around accusation of racism which we have already dismissed. Divided allegiance can create the instability in the community, the state and the country. As we are almost all of immigrant stock this should be the one thing on which we agree. As this country grew through immigration the once constant was the thoguth that all immigrants left behind that nationalism they felt for their homeland. Most were traveling half a planet away from home with the understanding that they were coming to America to begin a new life in a new country. Geography is one factor that is completely different in this case. The Mexican or South American immigrant, whether legal of illegal, is within a days drive of their homeland and can freely move back and forth thus creating a divided allegiance. There is no life altering decision that if the trip is made to America there is a real chance that they will never again return to their country of origin. This makes committing to a new country that much harder when the very real issue of the economics of a return trip can be astronomical.

Let's move forward. America has been since it's very inception a melting pot. When one arrived here in decades past it was understood that America offered you the hope to become what you may. What did America ask in return? That you become an American, that you join in with what was already here and add your strength of character and God given skills to the pot. America asked that you renounce all prior allegiances and give all that you were to the American ideal. This prerequisite was spelled out clearly in this line, "Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all."

Harsh words for many I am sure. Again he is dealing with the threat of divided allegiance.

(A side bar, I believe this could also be directed at those who hyphenate their race. An African-American, Hispanic-American, Italian-America, Irish-American etc. These are all references to some underlying divided allegiance, just as much as White-American or Caucatian-American would be. If we were to consider ourselves American first followed by our ancestry, the opening communication to one another would be that we are all of the same ideal and principle . This might be better researched by social-behavioral scientists, if such a specialty exists, but it has been a theory of mine for some time.)

He continues with, "We have room for but one flag, the American flag...we have room for but one language here, and that is the English language." As the flag represents the country to which have all pledged our allegiance since we were school children, the concept can at times become less important to many natural born Americans. But it's importance has not diminished just because we have come to ignore it. Especially to the new American the American flag is the symbol that should most clearly indicate that he or she is now an American. It does in fact play a major role in the mental image of ones country. "Old Glory" means allot to allot of people who have immigrated to this country as well it should to all of us.

Language is the glue that creates a society. It is what allows us to openly communicate with each other. No one has suggested that the immigrant not teach their native language to their children, but the immigrant and their children should know how to communicate with all of the other people in the community, not just those who are from the same place of origin. Again we continue with the idea of a divided allegiance. Those who lack the skills to communicate will feel separate and this easily leaves a door open for resentments to build as they feel outcast and unable to join in the community.

Roosevelt finishes this with what I consider the most compelling point in this quote, "and we have but one sole loyalty and that is loyalty to the American people." This shines as the most telling indication of where Roosevelt at least thought we should place our loyalties, in each other. Our loyalty from our public servants to us the people and our loyalty to each other.

Despite what is said today about our President, our Congress and out other leaders, we the people must remain loyal to each other. We are the people of the most unique nation on Earth. This loyalty was on display in the days after 9/11 as we stood together Black, White, Hispanic, Asian and all other Americans. In those first few weeks after the event that changes the world and America forever, we were one America, there was no divided allegiance.

Those days, and many others in the past and hopefully many more to come in the future we showed that we could rise to the call of history and stand united as Americans, holding fast to the words of Theodore Roosevelt. We were loyal, not to our government, not to the flag, but to each other.

But what would I know, I'm just an Average American.

Hard to believe that it took over 1200 words to explain what one man said in only 135. Brevity really is the sole of wit. My apologies for the length.