Our Duty To America

An Article Originally Printed in the New York City Based
Ladino Newspaper La Epoca December 5, 1919

We Americans are not guests but full members of the body politic. Be we guest or members it would be a base ingratitude to disrupt a nation that has opened her gates to us, giving every new comer of whatever denomination, the opportunity to raise himself as high as his abilities allow him. It is proper that he should combine his efforts to those already in motion not to destroy but to build, not to overthrow but to keep steadily going the ship of state. We assume that, as it is the case, many imperfections exist in our body politie, the existence of which nobody is denying and what is the nation that is faultless?

But, these imperfections can be corrected within the limits of the Law and Order for which we stand from first to last.

Asian Americans, having acquired citizenship with the A.E.F. we will deal with every subject pertaining directly or indirectly to our country, fearlessly and courageously. We will proclaim our ideals in a sientorian voice until they are heard. Our motto is: Law and Order. We will as Joseph Pulitzer put it, "attack wrong, whether by predatory plutocracy or predatory poverty."

 

Excerpts from the Old Ladino Press was developed by S. Alfassa & R. Alfassa-Murrell. Note: The grammar, spelling and syntax of the article is reproduced here as it was in the original article.