Speaker suggests assimilation as solution to immigration debate
Could the answer be as easy as 10 simple steps? Roger Clegg thinks so
Michelle Casady/Staff Writer
Issue date: 4/5/06 Section: News
Though it had been planned a year in advance, the speech given in the forum of the Texas Tech Law school Tuesday afternoon was coincidentally pertinent to current events.
Roger Clegg, president and general counsel with the Center for Equal Opportunity, spoke on "Immigration and Assimilation."
The presentation was hosted by the Tech chapter of the Federalist Society.
Clegg outlined 10 rules he believes should be heeded for effective assimilation.
"I am comfortable with relatively high levels of immigration … I believe a country's economy needs lots of immigrants," he said. "I think there's a way we can have our cake and eat it too, and that's high levels of immigration plus assimilation. I also think there are certain things we expect everyone in the U.S. not to do."
Clegg's said his first rule, "don't disparage other ethnicities," is important for those living in the U.S. to remember.
"If someone comes to the U.S. and plays by the rules, we should be very welcoming of them," he said.
His second rule was "don't expect preferential treatment." This was followed by rule No. 3: "Don't carry historical grudges."
"If your neighbor is a Turkish-American, he's still an American," Clegg said. "You shouldn't dislike him just because he's from Turkey."
Rule four stated immigrants should "respect women." He went on to say that in the United States, women are not second-class citizens and should not be treated as such by anyone.
Clegg's fifth guideline was that immigrants should "learn to speak English."
"It is very important that we be able to communicate with each other," he said. "It's too late in the game to have a national language other than English, and you need to be able to speak English to succeed economically."
Rule No. 6 suggests that immigrants "be polite." Clegg jokingly said he believes this rule is not as hard to follow for Texans as it was for a group he addressed in New York.
Roger Clegg, president and general counsel with the Center for Equal Opportunity, spoke on "Immigration and Assimilation."
The presentation was hosted by the Tech chapter of the Federalist Society.
Clegg outlined 10 rules he believes should be heeded for effective assimilation.
"I am comfortable with relatively high levels of immigration … I believe a country's economy needs lots of immigrants," he said. "I think there's a way we can have our cake and eat it too, and that's high levels of immigration plus assimilation. I also think there are certain things we expect everyone in the U.S. not to do."
Clegg's said his first rule, "don't disparage other ethnicities," is important for those living in the U.S. to remember.
"If someone comes to the U.S. and plays by the rules, we should be very welcoming of them," he said.
His second rule was "don't expect preferential treatment." This was followed by rule No. 3: "Don't carry historical grudges."
"If your neighbor is a Turkish-American, he's still an American," Clegg said. "You shouldn't dislike him just because he's from Turkey."
Rule four stated immigrants should "respect women." He went on to say that in the United States, women are not second-class citizens and should not be treated as such by anyone.
Clegg's fifth guideline was that immigrants should "learn to speak English."
"It is very important that we be able to communicate with each other," he said. "It's too late in the game to have a national language other than English, and you need to be able to speak English to succeed economically."
Rule No. 6 suggests that immigrants "be polite." Clegg jokingly said he believes this rule is not as hard to follow for Texans as it was for a group he addressed in New York.
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