Will we reach across divide or reach back?

The immigration debate continues at both the local and national level.

It is predicted to be one of the key issues in the presidential campaigns in 2008.

As we experience harsh rhetoric at times, I would suggest we keep the following in mind.

1. When I visited Ellis Island, I found that in 1910, several major U. S. cities, including Chicago, had a population of which 75 percent were immigrants or children of immigrants.

Many did not speak English, lived in communities that were known by their country of origin (Little Italy, Chinatown, etc.) and formed clubs based on their nationality of origin.

2. The Immigration and Nationality Act was first created in 1952. Before that, many statutes independent of each other controlled immigration. They were concerned with collecting a head tax or defining admission standards.

Admission was based on medical, criminal and other guidelines rather than quotas. We did try to exclude Chinese labor in the 1880s, as some wish to do to "illegals" in today's world.

3. Our country was built by, for and on the backs of immigrants. Chicago area museums still honor that heritage. 4. The "Know-Nothing Movement" in the 1840s-50s was against "foreign influences," including all Catholics.

This movement supported such ideas as electing only native-born Americans to political office and a 25-year residency qualification for citizenship. Does this have some echo of certain current groups?

Bipartisan solutions have been rejected based primarily on political ideology.

Will the candidates in 2008 reach across the divide or will they continue pressing an ideology that smacks of 19th century prejudices?

Royce M. Blackwell

Elgin