Coming to America: Mistreatment of immigrants is nothing new

"Americans often fondly refer to this country as a land of immigrants, but there is another factor that runs through our history that blunts the myth of a welcome mat laid out for all.  “We are also a nation of gatekeepers” wary of opening the doors too wide and to the “wrong” people, said Matthew Jacobson, a professor of American studies and history at Yale University.  Jacobson said the harassment of Latinos by police in East Haven as cited in a U.S. Justice Department report and the indictment of four officers for alleged criminal acts toward this minority group are part of a long pattern of fear and discrimination against immigrants that continues to assert itself.  Jacobson, who has written extensively on the subject, said there are two basic responses to the newest wave of immigrants: an economic one, that complains they are taking jobs that should go to Americans, and a political one that doesn’t trust immigrants to have the “wisdom” to participate in a democracy." - Mary E. O'Leary, New Haven Register, Jan. 30, 2012.