immigrants and the media

There are a lot of conflicting images of immigrants to the United States in the media. Since the U.S. was founded by immigrants and originally welcomed them to the country, there are three main images of immigrants. The first is the positive pictures of the European immigrants with the theme of "they came and built this country into what it is today." The second image regards the newer immigrants as "welfare or the American people's jobs seeking poor people who can't be trusted. They are surrounded by somewhat shifty images, unstable and not to be trusted. The next is trying to combat that view with images of immigrants working hard, bettering themselves and their situations and here to build the United States into an even greater country.
In my collage I chose a classic 1800's immigrant photograph as the central picture. A husband, wife and two small children stand on the deck of a boat as they enter the harbor. They are wearing old-fashioned clothes from the "old country"and they look tired, yet excited to begin their new lives in the promise land. A faint smile plays on the parents' lips. The father stands with his hand grasping their lugguage, all that they have to start with. He is ready to disembark.
I surrounded this photograph with modern and old images of immigrants. I chose them for the faces, the hope, the desperation of the people, as well as some rally photographs from the recent illegal immigrant protest. Some of the people are working. Others are just arriving. In one photograph, the people are trying to get to the U.S. by floating on a raft made with garbage bags. Some of them are showing their support for the U.S. by waving the American flag. I also included a photograph of immigrants with Lady Liberty in the background, as she is a symbol of both freedom and immigrantion.
These photographs show the different views of immigrants that many Americans hold. They are conflicting views. I hope that as a whole, the people of this country are moving towards as more accepting view and position for immigrants. As a grandchild of an immigrant and a friend of several, I know what it means to many people to be able to enter this country and made a new life for themselves. America may not have everything right, but I believe that one of our nation's best qualities is acceptance and giving people new chances in life. Let the inscription on Lady Liberty stay true and legal for all generations. We should not be a people of fences, but of open arms.