Statue Of Hope For Immigrants

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The Statue of Liberty, a symbol of freedom, hope, and a fresh start, continues to welcome immigrants to American shores. Gifted to the Americans by the French during the French Revolution and installed in 1886, this extraordinary present symbolized a friendship between nations. Starting as a token of a companionship between countries, the Statue of Liberty took on a new meaning in the last century. In the early 1900s, pro-immigration activists added a poem, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore”, to the base of the statue. Consequently, this national monument became a symbol of hope for immigrants. As a country, America must continue to abide by the principles written at the bottom of the Statue of Liberty, as they now represent freedom for immigrants, creates a beacon of hope for the unfortunate, and symbolizes how this country was founded by outcasts. …show more content…

The poem only furthers this claim, as it mentions “huddled masses yearning to breathe free”, which is in reference to the immigrants wishing to find freedom in our country. Esther Schor, an English professor who wrote a biography of Emma Lazarus, the author of the poem, notes that Americans showed minimal interested in the Statue of Liberty until the 1930’s; pro-immigration activists used the monument and sonnet to publicize their cause. This poem brought a new meaning to this national monument of freedom to the imprisoned who seek a new

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