Quote from Theodore Roosevelt on immigration-Truth!

Quote from Theodore Roosevelt about Immigration-Truth!

Summary of the eRumor
A quote from Theodore Roosevelt expressing his views in immigrants. He said they should assimilate, become loyal Americans, and speak English.

The Truth:
The quote is authentic but some of the wording is different than the original from Teddy Roosevelt. Also, it was not a quote from 1907 but was written in a letter by then former president Roosevelt on January 3, 1919 to the president of the American Defense Society. It was read publicly at a meeting on January 5, 1919. Roosevelt died the next day, on January 6, 1919

Teddy Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States and the youngest to ever occupy the Oval Office. He was Vice President to President William McKinley when in 1901 McKinley was assassinated the Roosevelt took over at age 42. (At age 43 President John F. Kennedy was the youngest to ever be elected President.)

The actual text from Teddy Roosevelt's letter is below. There are a few minor differences from the original such as changing "man" to "person" but the content is virtually identical.

We should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an

American and assimilates himself to us he shall be treated on an exact equality with every one else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed or birth-place or origin.

But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated with men of his own origin and separated from the rest of America, then he isn't doing his part as an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. . . We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people.

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

The year is 1907.....but the speaker knew what he was talking about.

READ PRINT UNDER PICTURE

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Every American citizen needs to read this!
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