Where would America be without immigrants?

It's a question worth asking. I started really thinking about it after reading Lisa Maggio's entry from October 1st. Basically everyone who lives in America is a descendant of some sort of immigrant. I know I am: my grandpa's family immigrated here from Germany; my other grandpa's family immigrated from Ukraine; my grandma's family from Ireland. My other grandma, however, has been here for a long time--having a long chain of family members born and growing up in the South. Even so, she was half English and half French, so someone would have had to immigrate at some point. Quite honestly, the only thing that makes me American is the fact that I was born here. But when people ask me what I am, I default to: a quarter German, a quarter Ukrainian, a quarter Irish, an eighth English, and an eighth French. No where in there do I say "I'm one hundred percent American," even though I am. And I'm sure, aside from a good handful, that's what everyone else says. Everyone has blood that runs through them that is not American.

I don't understand why people are trash talked so often for representing where they come from. As far as I'm concerned, it's good to be proud of where you come from. I have heard "Americans" say that they don't like the way Mexicans continuously sport the Mexican flag claiming that "This is America. The only flag that should be seen is the American flag." But that's just ignorant, because the essence of America is the conglomeration of all the countries that immigrated and settled here. America has a reputation of being the free world, being a place people can escape to from persecution, poverty, and so many more negative things. Sure, those negative things have been brought to America, too, but some of it just purely ignorance. It's fine to be proud of where you come from--great, even. But the ignorance I see on some Americans' faces makes me ashamed to say I'm American and want to represent my other five countries that much more.

So my question stands: Where would America be without immigrants? Quite honestly, I don't think it would really exist. This country was built off of immigrants and their determination for a better life. That is what inspired so many different movements througout history and what still does. It's the people who come here from different countries that have the determination to hold rallies and every organize parades througout the entire city. I think it's great to have pride in where you come from, because that's a large part of who you are.