Collegian Online Edition

Election illustrates immigrant rise

   In an unprecedented political move, Arnold Schwarzenegger defeated all opposition to the seat of governor of California.
   The Austrian immigrant is the first naturalized American to hold that office, and his election shows how much one can achieve in this country.
   Of course, the country has not yet seen how effective a governor Schwarzenegger will make.
   The former body-builder and movie star has never before faced the challenges inherent in the political arena.
   Not only does Schwarzenegger have a massive budget deficit to face, but he also has a state congress comprised almost entirely of Democrats after he ran on a Republican ticket.
   These obstacles are all hurdles California’s new governor will need to overcome.
   Many immigrants, while unlikely to face similar difficulties, face challenges nonetheless.
   Language barriers confront potential citizens coming from non-English-speaking countries.
   Economics prove problematic to those from countries with weaker currencies.
   Selling a palatial house in one country might only allow one to afford a “teardown” in affluent areas of the United States.
   These currency differences, however, are often the incentives that people need to make the arduous move.
   Many immigrants send money back home to families abroad. On what one requires to meet the poverty line in America, a family of four could live comfortably in many lesser-developed nations.
   Hostile circumstances may provide a “push” factor, forcing people to leave their home countries for fear of persecution.
   All of this is only possible because of the main tenet of American society: Freedom.
   Americans have the freedom to say what they feel. However, many foreign governments repress this kind of free speech.
   Discrimination—whether racial or religious—is frowned upon in the United States, and while it may occur, discrimination is illegal here.
   In some countries, however, discriminatory behavior is not only legal, but lauded as well.
   Few other places accept such a mix of talent, interest and freedom.
   Researchers from all over the world congregate on the North American continent in U.S. research facilities to produce marvels that shape our very civilization.
   Einstein, Time’s Man of the Century, fled from religious persecution in Germany to America’s welcoming shores and gave us everything from nuclear power to a deeper understanding of how the universe works.
   Talent, skills and smarts are not necessarily indigenous to this country, every nation has individuals with skills the world needs.
   Together, hand-in-hand with representatives from the rest of the world, America moves toward the future.