Immigration: what history's greatest minds said
Newcomers, citizenship and who belongs, as the figures addressed it in their own time.
3 answers from 3 voices. Every answer quotes the figure's own words and links to the source. How we build answers.
Jesus of Nazareth
- What did Jesus say about welcoming the stranger?
Jesus taught that welcoming strangers is equivalent to welcoming him, using the parables of the sheep and goats and the Good Samaritan to show that compassion toward outsiders and those in need is central to his moral teaching.
George Washington
- What did George Washington say about immigrants?
George Washington believed America should welcome immigrants committed to republican principles and the common good, but remained cautious about those with divided loyalties to foreign powers or interests.
Abraham Lincoln
- What did Lincoln say about immigration?
Lincoln opposed the Know-Nothing movement's exclusion of foreigners and Catholics, arguing that the Declaration's promise of equality applied to all people regardless of national origin or religion.
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