Americanism is a question of principle, of idealism, of character. It is not a matter of birthplace, or creed, or line of descent.
Theodore RooseveltRead
Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of language acquisition for immigrants as a means of integration into society.
Theodore Roosevelt's quote advocates for the necessity of learning English as a crucial step for immigrants to fully participate in American society. He suggests that after five years, immigrants should either have learned the language to support their integration or consider leaving the country, highlighting the value placed on communication and cultural assimilation in society.
Themes
ImmigrationEnglishLanguageIntegrationSociety
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker at an immigration conference may reference this quote to discuss language policies.
More from Theodore Roosevelt
All quotes βIt tires me to talk to rich men. You expect a man of millions, the head of a great industry, to be a man worthhearing; but as a rule they don't know anything outside their own business.
Theodore RooseveltRead
No man should receive a dollar unless that dollar has been fairly earned.
Theodore RooseveltRead
Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.
Theodore RooseveltRead
Conservation means development as much as it does protection._x000D_ _x000D_ A man's usefulness depends upon his living up to his ideals insofar as he can.
Theodore RooseveltRead
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
Theodore RooseveltRead
Similar quotes
We can celebrate the speed at which LGBT equality has progressed, but we also have to acknowledge that it wasn't fast enough, because too many people didn't get to experience it. We can never be too impatient.
Sarah McbrideRead
When people are ready to, they change. They never do it before then, and sometimes they die before they get around to it. You can't make them change if they don't want to, just like when they do want to, you can't stop them.
Andy WarholRead
It is the nature of a man as he grows older, a small bridge intime, toprotest againstchange, particularlychangefor the better.
John SteinbeckRead
Those interested in perpetuating present conditions are always in tears about the marvelous past that is about to disappear, without having so much as a smile for the young future.
Simone De BeauvoirRead
I couldn't have imagined that I would live long enough to see Egypt emancipated from decades of repression.
Mohamed ElbaradeiRead
What we need is to think strategically about development, analyzing a country's potential role in its region and the world in search of opportunities for growth. Platforms like the Global Social Business Summit can facilitate the process on bringing about change.
Muhammad YunusRead