The Statue of Liberty: A Beacon of Hope

            A symbol of freedom, strength, and courage, the Statue of Liberty towers tall on Liberty Island in New York Bay.  The green lady of liberty serves as a beacon of hope to all immigrants and as a reminder of those liberties and freedoms most precious to all American citizens.  When immigrants first see the Statue of Liberty after crossing the Atlantic Ocean, their dreams of the freedoms and liberties of the United States of America are confirmed.

            The United States of America, for many Europeans of oppressive countries, is a shining beacon of hope calling out to millions with promises of freedom and liberty.  Tales of the freedoms and liberties spread through Europe like wild fire.  Oppressed and extremely frustrated Europeans saw the United States as a “land of opportunity” providing them with a second chance at life.  America became a sort-of refuge for many European Immigrants looking to improve their status quo.  Promises of a free country, better living conditions, better job opportunities, and an overall better life enticed nearly all of the immigrants who traveled to the United States of America during the 1900’s.  For many immigrants in the 1900’s anywhere else was better than where they had lived their life previously to their immigration; however, the United States offered so much more to the hopeful immigrants than any other country.

            Being a land of hope, nothing instilled confidence in the travel-wearied immigrants like the awe-inspiring Statue of Liberty.  As their first impression of America, Lady Liberty filled the immigrants with confidence and confirmed their hopeful thoughts and dreams of a “land of opportunity”.  The Statue of Liberty represented freedom from oppression, liberty for all, and hope for anyone lacking it.  All myths, tales, stories, exaggerations, legends, etc. told about the promises of the United States of America, no matter how bizarre or unreal, suddenly become true at the sight of the Statue of liberty.  The Statue of Liberty and the United States stand for freedom, liberty, and the promise of a better life. 

            The United States offered freedom and liberty to the nearly 26 million immigrants who immigrated to the United States of America in the first quarter of the century.  Many of these immigrants thought that America would offer them a second lease on life.  For some this was true, but for many they spent their life living in conditions no different, if not worse than the ones they fled their home country to escape.  Many immigrants could not speak English and therefore had an even harder time finding work.  Because many immigrants did not understand our monetary system and could not speak English, a large percentage of employers underpaid and took advantage of immigrants.  Submitted to poor working conditions and low pay, these immigrants could not improve their lives much at all.  Many lived in cramped slums and shared tiny rooms with as many as 10 to 15 other immigrants.  The promises of a better life were not upheld, but the immigrants did have their freedom and liberties.  They had the freedom of speech, the freedom to petition the government, religious freedom, the freedom to peacefully assemble, and the freedom of the press.  In addition to their 1st amendment rights, they also were granted the rights stated by the rest of the constitution.  This was better than what they suffered in their home countries, and to many probably out weighed their poor work and living conditions.  Many immigrants, in fact, fled their home country for religious freedom, and the United States offered this to them with open arms.