Pursuit of American Freedom

Lady Liberty and the Pursuit of American Freedom

I recently visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York and came away with some strong feelings on the present immigration issue. My grandfather came to the United States from Poland, alone when he was 17 without any other family members and no immediate family living in the U.S. We found the documents recording his arrival and saw some of the questions required to enter the country. He declared that he was not insane and was not a criminal. He also possessed no real skills. It was very emotional to see his name, where he ca I me from, the ship he was on and other information like his lack of knowledge of the English language in document form.

I felt something special when I was reminded of the rebuilding of Lady Liberty and the small role his descendants played in the rebuilding. His son and grandson worked at a mill that donated stainless steel rod towards the rebuilding of the Statue of Liberty to replace the old steel skeleton that had rusted.

I was less surprised to learn that two of the top three jobs held by Polish immigrants were working in mines and steel mills. My grandfather worked digging ditches and ultimately became a boss for a small gas company in Western New York. My grandfather’s legacy lives on through my grandchildren, who are the fourth generation of Americans born in this country. 

I wonder what would happen today if an unaccompanied 17-year-old boy who could not read, write or speak English, and had no identifiable skills, showed up at immigration and asked to enter our country to start a new life. 

Bill Pienta, SOAR President