Since the very formation of the United States, millions of people have entered this great nation as pilgrims, refugees, entrepreneurs, opportunists, nomads, missionaries, and pioneers as eloquently noted by sapient author Cole P. Zail in his AMAC Magazine Summer 2018 article "Immigration: Solidarity, Identity, and the American Dream."At its core, America is a country that unites people, however vast their differences may be, in the pride and exceptionalism of being able to call oneself an American. In a country made up of people from every race and nationality on earth, it's pertinent we preserve the significance of legal immigration, assimilation, and the process of becoming a naturalized American citizen.While we should celebrate our unique differences, we should, perhaps more importantly, celebrate the fact that we have joined together and blended ourselves into one nation, in spite of these vast differences. America's Founding Fathers were wise; they knew that our national strength could be preserved through unity. However, individuals who are not citizens do not have a right to American citizenship without the consent of the American people.As such, e pluribus unum exemplifies this unity and distills the essence of the United States, highlighting how we are a nation of individuals united by shared ideas and values, rather than by race or origin. Our populace is not bonded together by blood or birthplace, rather, we are united by our adherence to mutual values and our commitment to the Constitution. Becoming an American citizen has nothing to do with ancestry or ethnic identity; being American is a state of mind and a devotion to beliefs.This spirit of unity, this celebration of American citizenship, this shared faith in a national ideal-this is the true majesty of our great nation. Unfortunately for America and its legalized citizens-illegal immigration does not abide by these ideals-and its inherent costs to America's taxpayers, its assault on the core principles of the American Dream, and its disregard of American immigrations laws-all present clear and present dangers as this textbook will clearly, concisely and factually demonstrate.
