English Newspaper Project November 2012 | Page 3

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EDITORIAL EPIPHANY

This Week: "Are they any

different from us?"

We cannot really discriminate against Chinese and Japanese immigrants. We have to look back at where whence we came from. We came from Great Britain to the Americas. Just like how the Chinese and Japanese are emigrating from Asia. We think their taking over our land and jobs. But doesn’t this sound a little familiar? To me it sounds like when we came here.

Go back 200 years. Our ancestors left Great Britain in the 1600’s and we settled Jamestown. What did we do? We took the American Indians land. So we came and got rid of the Indians. However the Chinese came here for freedom. Some of us left for religious freedom. We are just the same as the Chinese and Japanese. They look different in our eyes but have you yet to think that maybe we look different in their eyes.

Without the Chinese and Japanese Immigrants our U.S. may not be as great as it is today. Immigrants do what we do not want to. They built our railroads which helped us greatly in the long run. We cannot say they are completely different from us. They came to the U.S. for the same reason we came to North America. We wanted freedom and opportunities and that’s what they want.

Before you judge, discriminate, and prejudice against the Chinese and Japanese we all must do these two things. First, put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you came to the U.S. where you thought everyone was treated equally and you arrived here and your thoughts were false? Secondly, think about how it must have been if they left their home countries to go here. It must have been horrible if they wanted to leave and go here. They wanted to be here so they can live in peace not discrimination and turmoil.

So think about it. Would you like to be thought as different and strange? Your answer and my answer is probably, and most likely, no. So think before you act. Because and our decision could change the course of history. And my decision is let the Japanese and Chinese live peacefully with us not low class citizens, we are all equal.