Running Head: AMERICAN HISTORY 1 AMERICAN HISTORY 5 American History Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx 25 September 2017 Introduction The poem, 'New Colossus,' inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty helped the statue to claim its place in United States’ collective consciousness even after decades of obscurity. Built in 1886, the Statue of Liberty was a symbol of friendship with the French, the abolition of the American slavery and celebration of democracy. However, the marvelous piece of art failed to symbolize a welcoming home to the tired, huddled masses from all regions of the world. This situation wasn’t until Emma Lazarus, a minor figure in the 19th-century American literature coined a poem ranked as one of the most famous verses in the U.S. history (Houng Ha, 2017). The lines, published in 1883 as part of an effort to raise funds and celebrate the completion of the statue became the ultimate expression of America’s image as the most welcoming nation to immigrants. Over the years, the New Colossus has been the subject of debate with regards to immigration on the onset of the twentieth century. However, it is through this national ideology that the Statue of Liberty was transformed into a beacon of hope for immigrants and foreigners in search of a better livelihood in the United States. This paper seeks to analyze the depiction of immigration by the poem in the late nineteen and early twentieth century, the patterns of Jewish immigrants as well as the shift towards legislation that restricted immigration. Analysis Depicting immigration in the late 19th and early 20th Century The New Colossus is considered a myth conjured by Lazarus, an author who had devoted herself to averting the plight of Russian- Jewish refugees. The mystery of the poem lies in how Lazarus imagined the monument as a goddess referred to as the Mother of Exiles. The goddess is believed to have always welcomed the tired and miserable people to an eternity of freedom while guiding the way with her bright lamp. This blueprint coincided with the author’s beliefs that the already established and financially stable Jews in the United States bore the responsibility to assist their fellow newcomers who came into the country. Fellow poets including James R. Lowell applauded the poem as it provided the statue with the reason to exist and guidance to the American people throughout generations to come. Even after her death, the famous words were inscribed on a memorial plaque and engraved at the bottom of the statue to remind the U.S. of its stature as the destination of the oppressed and impoverished in the world (Jardins, 2017) Furthermore, the poem is a painful narrative of the immigrant experience that is based on the author’s personal life during the early 20th Century. As a Jew, Lazarus faced an outsider status in the American life that led her pen down numerous poems that addressed international Semitism. Surprisingly, the New Colossus beca ...

1. Running Head: AMERICAN HISTORY 1
AMERICAN HISTORY 5
American History
Xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxx
25 September 2017
Introduction
The poem, 'New Colossus,' inscribed at the base of the Statue of
Liberty helped the statue to claim its place in United States’
collective consciousness even after decades of obscurity. Built
in 1886, the Statue of Liberty was a symbol of friendship with
the French, the abolition of the American slavery and
celebration of democracy. However, the marvelous piece of art

2. failed to symbolize a welcoming home to the tired, huddled
masses from all regions of the world. This situation wasn’t until
Emma Lazarus, a minor figure in the 19th-century American
literature coined a poem ranked as one of the most famous
verses in the U.S. history (Houng Ha, 2017). The lines,
published in 1883 as part of an effort to raise funds and
celebrate the completion of the statue became the ultimate
expression of America’s image as the most welcoming nation to
immigrants. Over the years, the New Colossus has been the
subject of debate with regards to immigration on the onset of
the twentieth century. However, it is through this national
ideology that the Statue of Liberty was transformed into a
beacon of hope for immigrants and foreigners in search of a
better livelihood in the United States. This paper seeks to
analyze the depiction of immigration by the poem in the late
nineteen and early twentieth century, the patterns of Jewish
immigrants as well as the shift towards legislation that
restricted immigration.
Analysis
Depicting immigration in the late 19th and early 20th Century
The New Colossus is considered a myth conjured by Lazarus, an
author who had devoted herself to averting the plight of
Russian- Jewish refugees. The mystery of the poem lies in how
Lazarus imagined the monument as a goddess referred to as the
Mother of Exiles. The goddess is believed to have always
welcomed the tired and miserable people to an eternity of
freedom while guiding the way with her bright lamp. This
blueprint coincided with the author’s beliefs that the already
established and financially stable Jews in the United States bore
the responsibility to assist their fellow newcomers who came
into the country. Fellow poets including James R. Lowell
applauded the poem as it provided the statue with the reason to
exist and guidance to the American people throughout
generations to come. Even after her death, the famous words
were inscribed on a memorial plaque and engraved at the bottom
of the statue to remind the U.S. of its stature as the destination

3. of the oppressed and impoverished in the world (Jardins, 2017)
Furthermore, the poem is a painful narrative of the immigrant
experience that is based on the author’s personal life during the
early 20th Century. As a Jew, Lazarus faced an outsider status
in the American life that led her pen down numerous poems that
addressed international Semitism. Surprisingly, the New
Colossus became her most famous sonnet by clearly depicting
the plight of immigrants’ groups in America and other parts of
the globe. To free the entire world from oppression, the author
espoused standards that would overcome tribalism and set forth
humane immigration practices (Houng Ha, 2017). As a result of
these efforts, the world still hears the phrases of the poem
reverberating through schools and speeches by presidents. An
example is the former U.S. President, Barrack Obama’s words
of solidarity to France after the deadly terrorist attack in Paris.
In his stance, Obama referred to the letter and spirit of the poem
that everyone has the humanitarian duty help, desperate
refugees, while ensuring security to all natives.
Patterns of European-Jewish immigration and the legislative
changes regarding immigration.
The early 20th Century commonly referred to as the era of
exclusion witnessed the eruption of immigration politics that
influenced the migration of Jews into Europe and later the
United States. Despite the imposition of policies that restricted
immigration into America, Jewish immigrants continued to
flock into European nations especially after a failed attempt to
enter the ‘free society.' As America build up its walls, liberals
such as Lazarus welcomed the idea of assimilating immigrants
from different parts of the world (Samsel 2017). History
dictates that the last two decades witnessed the largest surge of
Jewish immigrants in America when compared the population of
immigrants at that given time. Years after the curving of the
iconic poem, Jews and other immigrants from the Europe
entered America through the golden door and transformed the
existing social system.
In conclusion, the New Colossus poetry accurately depicts the

4. status of immigration on the onset of the twentieth century.
While transforming the Statue of Liberty into a beacon of hope
for immigrants and foreigners seeking a livelihood in the United
States, the poem illustrates the plight of immigrants during the
era of exclusion. Regardless of the policies that restricted
immigration, more Jewish immigrants found their way into
America as most natives became receptive to cultural, racial and
social diversity.
References
Houng Ha, T., (2017) “The story behind the Statue of Liberty’s
unexpected transformation into a beacon for refugees and
immigrants”.
Jardins, J. (2017) “The New Colossus”: Emma Lazarus and the
Immigrant Experience”.
Samsel, H., (2017) “Yes, Statue of Liberty poem is linked to
immigration, says poet's biographer”.