#1

The familiar picture frame stopped me in my tracks. Reading, “#1 Dad” it was in an exhibit called “Many Voices, One Nation” at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. It sat there with a collection of other items including a toothbrush, comb and glass case. All united by the fact they were found in the desert, forgotten on someone’s journey north from Mexico into America.

I wonder how many father’s over the course of our two-hundred forty-eight year history felt like a #1 Dad for taking extraordinary chances and journeys in the hopes of providing a better life for their family.

This is a journey made by the ancestors of 97% of us living in the United States today, including those of Emma Lazarus, who was born one-hundred and seventy-five years ago last week.

Her family came from Portugal. Mine came from Scotland. I assume you know where you come from too.

Lazarus wrote her most famous work, The New Colossus, as part of an effort to raise money for the pedestal to the Statue of Liberty. While it was originally quite popular it fell into obscurity for the next twenty years. Only to be rediscovered and ultimately immortalized on a bronze plaque now mounted inside the pedestal's lower level. 

Millions have visited the Statue of Liberty, perhaps running their fingers along these relieved words that brought relief to so many. Lazarus was not among them as she died at the young age of thirty-seven, several years before the plaque was installed.

It would seem as if we have a natural tendency to periodically forget her inspirational words that reflect our national spirit of welcoming, “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!””

We all should appreciate the need to control our border and to have an immigration system that is more fair and orderly. At the same time, it is sickening to hear those seeking asylum or an opportunity for a better life to be described by some as millions of rapists, murderers and terrorists overrunning our border. 

The State of Liberty adorns the cover of my new children’s book. Inside its pages, a young child named America is starting their first day of school, only to be teased and made to feel unwelcome. Historical figures come to life to inspire America to return to school the next day, among them is Emma Lazarus. We never see America because they could be any of us, given that we have all been the new kid at one point or another in our lives.

There are long-term implications when a child does not feel welcomed. It has been correlated with increased depression, mental health issues and drop out rates. The impact is felt hardest by children of little means. The impact of not feeling welcomed is compounded every day. I see this in the classes I teach, where most of my students are children of immigrants. Many sit in the back of the class, hoping not to get called on. Research shows that students who sit in the back are likely to get worse grades. They are also likely to build fewer connections and social capital that contribute to long term success.

When I was younger I was the new kid. Not coming from a different country but from a different state. I sounded and looked different from other kids and was teased as a result. Being poor didn’t help either. I can only imagine how much more difficult it would be if I was coming from a different country or culture and speaking a different language.

Lazarus never forgot where she came from. As a Jewish woman, albeit from an affluent family, she was still subject to persecution. She dedicated much of her time and effort to supporting and assistant refugees as they made their way to a new life in America. Her words and actions were consistent. There was no hypocrisy to be found.

I wish the same could be said for America writ large where the chasm between our ideals and our behaviors are significant. Perhaps we could all use a reminder to bridge that gap. Maybe put our nations of origin on our drivers license, Have our children recite The New Colossus right after they finish the Pledge of Allegiance. Could we install plaques of the poem not only at one of our most precious national monuments but at every border or airport.  

Two years from now we will celebrate another anniversary - the two-hundred and fiftieth anniversary of our country’s founding. No doubt we will see the Statue of Liberty everywhere, but will we hear and heed Lazarus's words that so powerfully articulate this symbol’s meaning?

Will we remember where we all came from and show more compassion for those who simply want what we want, a better life for our families - and to be seen simply as someone trying to be #1 Dad or Mom. 

This Week’s Recommendation: Read The New Colossus in its entirety.

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