Who said this, and does it sound familiar?

[Anonymous]

"To my mind it is clear, that the settlement among us of an inferior race is to be discouraged by every legitimate means. Asia, with her numberless millions, sends to our shores the dregs of her population. Large numbers of this class are already here; and, unless we do something early to check their immigration, the question, which of the two tides of immigration, meeting upon the shores of the Pacific, shall be turned back, will be forced upon our consideration, when far more difficult than now of disposal. There can be no doubt but that the presence among us of numbers of degraded and distinct people must exercise a deleterious influence upon the superior race, and to a certain extent, repel desirable immigration."

[OneViewpoint]

That bullshit has been thrown at the Irish, Polish, Italians, Japanese, Chinese, Latinos, Africans, basically any large group of immigrants of any era. Yeah, no shit. The elites seldom leave their country to start over somewhere else.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

But those people were not some "inferior race". They were fleeing economic wastelands or a feudal society where they have no chance at a good life. Those people built our railroads, farmed our land, worked in our factories, and built out skyscrapers.

The person who wrote that tired argument attacking poor immigrants was the local equivalent of the landed aristocracy and oppressor those people were fleeing in the place they left. He got his, now fuck everyone else. It never ends.

[Asker]

Who said it?

[OneViewpoint]

I have no idea. Probably hundreds of people have echoed those sentiments in the last 250 years.

[OneViewpoint]

OK, that took 10 seconds. Leland Stanford, governor of California in the Civil War era. Shocker! Another entitled rich white guy pissing on Chinese immigrants.

[Asker]

You win!!

[AI Opinion]

The passage you've shared appears to be a historical quote expressing anti-immigration sentiments, likely from the 19th or early 20th century. Sentiments like these were often expressed during periods of immigration when Asian populations were arriving in Western countries. Since you are seeking to identify the author, it could be useful to explore historical figures associated with anti-immigration movements or legislation during that era. Exact authorship might require further historical research or consultation of specific historical texts or policy documents. If you have specific historical context or a time frame, that may help refine the search.

[Anonymous]

I don't know, it doesn't sound familiar.

[exitseven]

Was it FDR?

[Asker]

No it was not FDR.