“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” This notable line from Emma Lazarus’s sonnet, “The New Colossus,” is addressed to the multitude of people who abandon their native lands of their own volition for a chance at a more auspicious life in the seemingly nonpareil city of New York. Lazarus suggests that most, if not all, of the individuals who emigrate from their homelands to New York City are those who are forlorn, impecunious, and rejected. Today, however, this notion is inapplicable as our day to day experiences as New Yorkers have proven that most immigrants are not those unfortunate beings who saw no alternative but to escape a life of extreme poverty and rejection. As Foner states, New York City boasts an impressive diversity amongst its immigrants who come from a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds and who flaunt a variety of skills and expertise.

I found that the most interesting aspect of this reading was the manner in which Foner goes on to debunk various other myths that many people hold about immigrants in New York City. These myths have to do with who comes to New York, why people come, and how they get here. Foner very systematically organizes and presents her information to the reader who first learns about who these immigrants are. Many people are very quick to say things like “all the Mexicans are taking our jobs” or “all the Chinese are taking over our schools” without any real knowledge of what kind of people actually make up our city. Foner tells us that there is no particular immigrant group that dominates our city and that after 1964, the immigration of people to New York from places as varied as Asia to Latin America to the Caribbean skyrocketed. Therefore, to say that the immigrants in New York are predominantly from one particular group is wholly unjustifiable.

The next question that Foner goes on to explore has to do with why so many people come to New York. My immediate response was because people want to escape persecution and because they do not have ample opportunities at success in their homelands. After reading, I realized that while these things do play a significant role in an individual’s desire to emigrate from their native country, there is another obvious yet often unacknowledged element that explains why New York is such a popular place for immigrants to settle. Foner reminds us that the changes in U.S. immigration policies over the years that have opened up a plethora of opportunities for a wide range of people all across the world. After the end of various immigration acts and restrictions, the U.S. has become much more eager to welcome immigrants, and therefore, one of the biggest reasons why so many people come to New York is simply because they can.