Allegiance No Call for Blind Loyalty

Reader Max St. Yves (“Allegiance of Refugees Should Be to U.S.,” Dec. 22) missed the point. Proper political representation can only be achieved if elected officials are sensitive to the aspirations of the community.

Although there is no question that naturalized citizens should swear loyalty to the United States, only a hypocrite would claim he did not wish he could improve on the conditions in his native country. Sen. (Edward M.) Kennedy recently passed a bill tailored to facilitate the immigration of his Irish countrymen into this country.

St. Yves also repeated the same old condescending remarks about immigrants. Excuse me, but this country was built by immigrants. Even during the Civil War, one-eighth of the population in America was foreign-born. Then and now, the newcomers were exploited by employers craving cheap labor and lived in sprawling slums. These sacrifices cannot be denied.

NGOC BAU, Irvine