Moonstone Presents:
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Yearning to Breathe Free: Poetry from the Immigrant Community
September 22, 2019 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Book Release and Reading – September 22nd
Emma Lazarus writes in The New Colossus, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” Lazarus’ full poem is engraved on a plaque inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, and can be read here
Her message was clear and proud—the colossus that stands near Manhattan is a symbol of acceptance. The statue of Liberty guides the way with her torch held high, hoping that all the tired and poor might find hope and refuge in the United States. Many Americans felt they were gifted with a land of opportunity, and many still feel this way today.
However, this is no longer a reality for immigrants. One might even argue that it was an illusion from the start. With the history of immigration to the United States at hand, you might notice that the immigration stance of the Trump administration is nothing new. The lack of willingness from American communities to accept immigrants has always been there—it’s just that now a multi-billion-dollar wall is being built for it.
