From the regal bald eagle to the nation liberty bell, America’s national symbols have always instilled a sense of patriotism in the heart of many if not all Americans. They hold hope and pride for citizens in times where it’s hard to find faith. So when a symbol as large as the “Liberty enlightening the World” starts to lose its meaning due to the destruction of the countries immigration system, it’s not only alarming but a clear warning to American citizens that a negative change is coming.
In the beginning when the statue of liberty meant nothing to anyone, and it was simply a 151ft tall statue of a woman (Statue of Liberty History). It was supposed to act as a symbol of the friendship between France and the United States. The monument was constructed in 1875 after Frederic-August Bartholdi, the contractor & Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who also designed the infrastructure, thought of the idea in
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It was to be a monument for the immigrants trying to reach Americas borders. Little to anyone’s expectations, the same people the statue called for would be the same people it would soon turn away. The U.S government opened an immigration station in the base of the liberty symbol herself, to enforce the open door policy they were trying to achieve. In 1892 till 1954 over twelve million people passed through and were able to start new lives in the open arms of America (History of Illegal Immigration). In 1901 the actual torch of the monument served almost like a lighthouse to help navigate sailors to their safe shores. Almost every family in the United States can trace their heritage to immigrants, many of whom passed directly through the Statue of Liberty. Thus, it was generations of immigrants that built the very foundation of the country that presents itself