Foreign Language Press Service

A Hopeless Battle

Il Bollettino Sociale, Apr. 5, 1930

We note that the Italian newspapers frequently revive the question of Italian immigration. We believe that it is a battle without hope. The enemies of immigration are organized, and the only thing that we can do is to let them weigh our protests, although the balance is always one-sided.

Immigration is considered by our enemies the cause of all the evils that infest this country, including unemployment.

They affirm that we send back to Italy what we earn here. The fact that we are very economical people does not spare us this accusation. They assert that lavish-ness of expenditure would be preferable to our habit of economy because thus we should spend in this country what we now send to Italy. Perhaps this is the most logical of their arguments. Yet our immigrants must necessarily send their money to Italy.

How can their families live when the present immigration law does not allow them to join their relatives here? If the law were more humane and allowed the families of our immigrants to join them in America, the money would stay where it was earned.

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The wages received by the immigrant are merely sufficient for his daily needs. His savings, if any, barely insure him against possible unemployment or illness.

The immigration question is very important, and we should give to it all the consideration which it deserves.

What can we gain by isolated individual protests?

If we overlook American politics and busy our minds with European intrigue, we shall certainly gain nothing.

The politicians and legislators who are interested in restricting immigration will not pay any attention to our individual complaints. Their only deterrent is our votes, which should be cast solely in the interest of our race. It is our fault that we have so many Italian candidates for the same office.

In fact, in some districts where we can elect only one candidate many Italians are running and by so doing are dividing our vote and insuring the victory of candidates of other nationalities. This is not patriotism but foolishness. The result of such a policy is humiliation, disunion, and retrogression for us.

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