A Poem for All Americans, About Immigration
- It was only in the following decade, the 1930s that pro-immigration seized on her poem as a poem that was resonant, a poem that could open lectures, a poem that could be put on letterhead.
And from there on in, the poem sort of has steadily gained ground as a central poem for Americans.
And I would add that the poem began as a kind of subversive poem.
It's part of the period in which she's working for Russian Jewish refugees.
So she's talking about refugees.
And Emma Lazarus was actually very disappointed in her attempts to raise money from American Jews for the refugees.
So what she did was generalize the appeal to an appeal to all Americans about all immigrants.
(gentle music)
Follow Us