Letters

New Immigrants

To the Editors: Your issue on immigration [SPECIAL ISSUE, July 8] was superb. It takes courage, initiative and moxie to pull up roots and go to a land where the culture and probably the language are totally foreign. Most immigrants are willing to start at the very bottom and work doubly hard to get to the top. Immigration is America's way of staying young and vital. May it never cease! Michael J. McClary Anaheim, Calif.

This spectacular special issue reminded me once again of what a blessing it is to be an American. My parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 1952. As the youngest of nine children, I have seen seven sisters receive college degrees. My brother will soon be added to the list, and I am not far behind. My parents will leave us not an inheritance of wealth but one much more valuable, and that is the citizenship we hold in America, a land that makes it possible to obtain an education and succeed in a world where many are not as fortunate. Steve Ramirez El Paso

They come to better themselves. By doing so they also stimulate our economy, diversify our cuisine, enrich our language and culture, bring innovative ideas and strengthen our gene pool. Some say we cannot afford to have more immigrants. I wonder if we can afford not to. Guy Langsdale Miami

As a native-born American, I feel like a member of an endangered species in my own country. Joe Arnold Columbia, Mo.

The tide of immigrants changing the face of New York does not threaten me. If America is as good to these newcomers and benefits as much from their efforts as it did from those of my parents, who arrived in 1913, then all will be well. Rabbi Ronald Millstein Great Neck, N. Y.

I could feel blood from all my immigrant ancestors flowing through my Swedish-English-German-Scottish veins as I read every word of your stimulating articles. Georgia Bailey Frost Bloomington, Minn.

My paternal grandfather came to America from China in 1903 not speaking a word of English, yet he eventually attended Yale Law School. My mother came from China in 1929 and first worked in a restaurant; she later graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School. As their stories show, despite prejudice, the success of Asian Americans through hard work is not new. Jock K. Chung New York City

The U.S. has welcomed far more than its share of immigrants and political refugees. With a population of nearly 240 million and all of its attendant social and economic problems, the last thing our country needs is a flood of additional people. It is high time for the U.S. to end its unrealistic and anachronistic immigration and refugee policies by drastically restricting the admission of newcomers to our shores. Russell S. Garner Arlington, Va.

In all the glow about new immigrants, what about a few words of acknowledgment for those of us whose families have been here for many generations and who helped make America the kind of country that attracted these people? Carolyn Johnston Washington, D.C.

Henry Grunwald's Essay is a fitting finale to your memorable issue, but I do not agree with the rough translation of his father's poetic phrase "Deine Heimat ist wo das Glueck dich gruesst." Rather than translating it "Home is where you are happy," I prefer the more literal "Your home is where good fortune welcomes you." I think that expresses more accurately the reason immigrants want to make the U.S. their home. Sol Z. Abraham Denver

I too, like Henry Grunwald, am an immigrant from Vienna. His Essay will be a valuable teaching tool in my high school Spanish and German classes, and I will use it to convey the feelings that I hope will promote better global understanding. Thank you for saying it so well. Eva Frank Kansas City, Kans.

In his Essay, Henry Grunwald refers to Emma Lazarus' words "the wretched refuse of your teeming shore" on the Statue of Liberty as "awful" poetry. I think they are magnificent and moving. I bet millions of immigrants agree with me. Robert W. Driver Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.

With all the ills rampant in the country, one need only look at the faces of these immigrants to know that everything is going to be O.K. America is still on the right track. John A. Ciciarelli Beaver Falls, Pa.

It is misleading to compare the economic condition of native blacks with that of immigrants as a group. U.S. immigration policies require prospective immigrants to prove they have sufficient financial resources to avoid becoming welfare recipients once they arrive. Thus most legal immigrants to this land of opportunity are above the poverty level and are already better off than the 36% of blacks who are below that line. Victor Thompson Fort Wayne, Ind.

The question of the brain drain is of extreme importance to many Third World countries. There are impoverished countries that now export to the U.S. highly trained personnel, such as engineers, scientists and physicians. It is tragic that many Third World physicians have gone off to the U.S. in search of the good life. You should change your immigration rules so as to deny permanent residence to all professionals coming from Third World countries that need their services. Those who come to the U.S. to receive special training should be obliged to return to their own countries once that training is completed. Thor W.R. Hansen Oslo

I realize it is fashionable to blame the Soviets for just about everything, but I was surprised to see your chart depicting immigration to the U.S. ascribe anti-Jewish pogroms to the U.S.S.R. in the 1880s. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was not established until after 1917. Although czarist Russian officials encouraged anti-Semitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the last pogroms were conducted by anti-Bolshevik groups in the Ukraine and White Russia prior to full consolidation of Communist control. William Bollinger Los Angeles

Senator Alan Simpson's immigration reform and control bill is in fact an anti-Mexican, employer-harassing measure. True reform and control would allow Mexicans to visit the U.S. legally for short terms. Such visiting workers are an essential source of labor in the U.S. for jobs shunned by Americans. Their earnings help to alleviate the economic distress of their families in Mexico, and they provide that country with much needed dollars for international trade. E. Manning Giles San Antonio

It is about time someone painted an accurate picture of the immigrants' contribution to their communities. So much of the existing antagonism between the newcomers and so-called Anglos stems from ignorance of other people's way of life and perhaps also from the media's coverage of the most sensational stories. Hard-working, law-abiding families hardly ever make the news. Mercy M. Miranda Miami Free at Last

TIME'S stories on the climax of the Beirut hostage crisis [NATION, July 8] were exceptional. But you failed to mention one possible method of preventing terrorist acts against Americans in the Middle East: travel to the region must be severely restricted, if not stopped altogether. David S. Draper Arcata, Calif.

The media's reporting of the TWA hostage crisis played directly into the hands of the hijackers. Their type of terrorism is an act of war and should be treated as such under wartime censorship provisions. All nations should agree that press coverage of an ongoing act such as a kidnaping or hijacking must exclude the political demands of the terrorists until the crisis is resolved. Paul Zane Pilzer Dallas

Let's keep our priorities straight. Revenge may make us feel better, but it is no deterrent to future acts of terrorism. It is precisely this tribal logic, which is so prevalent in Arab lands, that keeps feuds going for generations. Joseph Wechsler Chicago Assembly-Line Surgery

I read with fascination about the Soviets doing eye surgery in an assembly-line fashion [MEDICINE, July 1]. However, I was surprised to notice in your photograph that one eye surgeon had his nose outside the sterile mask. I guess that person has three minutes to infect each patient. Richard C. Back Clemson, S.C.