Images and Ideologies

The reason I chose this image of the Statue of Liberty is the fact that it given to us as a gift from France in 1886 to represent the relationship of the two countries during the American Revolution. It also commemorates the centennial of the signing of Declaration of Independence. These are some of the facts concerning the statue. A lot of people see the statue as a free ticket to America. This is where the bias comes in. At the turn of the 19th century, when millions of people were immigrating here the first thing they saw as they were coming into port was the statue. It was a symbol hope and freedom. But the fact remains that the statue did not have anything to do with immigration. There is nothing on the statue to suggest immigration. When I was a kid, I remember watching films about what the statue stood for and most of the films would show people flooding into the U.S.A. and the process they had to go through in order to become U.S. citizens. When I read about the symbology of the statue there is nothing to suggest immigration. I am not against immigration, I believe this image has been disrepected to the fact that most Americans don’t know the true history of Lady Liberty. Another note of mention is the fact that the original torch was replaced in 1986. This image represents the original, but in fact is not the complete original. I actually respect and admire what the statue actually represents. The one thing that might have anything to do with immigration is the inscription that was set on a plaque in the interior on the second floor and not on the exterior as cartoons would suggest.