Articles written by Joanie Holzer Schirm

Joanie Holzer Schirm|Jun 17, 2016

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Long before Emma Lazarus’ quote was mounted on a pedestal plaque for the Statue of Liberty, “Native Americans” were immigrants to what became American soil. There’s really nothing unique in America about an immigrant background. We all have one; just some more recent than others. On my mother’s side, nine generations settled in America before I was born here. On my dad’s side, I’m a first generation. I exist because my Czech Jewish father escaped the Nazis and mad...