It has become a tradition for presidents to record a message to be played at naturalization ceremonies for new citizens. The current president recently recorded and released one, and since this administration’s aggressive posture toward immigration has become very clear, what he has to say by way of a welcome invites a little scrutiny.
In many ways, his greeting is on brand as he focuses on American greatness. He tells the naturalized citizens that they have received “one of the most priceless gifts ever granted by human hands,” and they “now share a home and a heritage with some of the most exceptional heroes, legends and patriots to ever walk the Earth.”
He focuses his comments on what immigrants have become, though he never says the word “immigrant” nor does he make any mention of where they’re from or might bring to the United States. Instead, he says, “With this sacred honor comes the highest responsibility.... This special American culture is now yours to preserve. Your freedoms are now yours to protect.”
All of that is consistent with a notion of immigration that the current administration has articulated, when it has said anything positive about it at all. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that “a visa is a privilege, not a right,” and citizenship comes with obligations according to the president’s welcome.
As a whole, the 1:44 greeting puts the best face on the president’s vision of America. It emphasizes America’s greatness. It also has moments that will give some listeners pause for reflection though, such as when he says, “We believe in hard work, and the merit system, and equality of opportunity,” it’s hard to look at the growing wealth divide in the country not to wonder who “we” are in that sentence. When he says we believe in the “fair and equal and impartial rule of law,” the recent history of incarcerations makes the line sound like empty rhetoric.
The distance between word and deed is often an issue in political speech though, particularly in general statements of vision like this greeting. The video merits attention not for gotcha moments like those, but because it’s a window into the president’s view of the country, its history and the naturalized immigrant’s place in them.
Photo by Don Starkey on Unsplash.
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