--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm first-generation American - my people…" description: "\"I'm first-generation American - my people came over on boats - and I think it's a shame to close the door on people who really need freedom.\" — F. Murr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/f-murray-abraham-13832_american_i-m-first-generation-american-my-people_1010783.png" --- # I'm first-generation American - my people came over on… ![“I'm first-generation American - my people came over on boats - and I think it's a shame to close the door on people who really need freedom.” quote by F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/f-murray-abraham-13832_american_i-m-first-generation-american-my-people_1010783.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/f-murray-abraham-13832_american_i-m-first-generation-american-my-people_1010783.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/f-murray-abraham-13832_american_i-m-first-generation-american-my-people_1010783.png) > “I'm first-generation American - my people came over on boats - and I think it's a shame to close the door on people who really need freedom.” [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Immigrants deserve open doors and freedom, yet policies often close them. **In simple terms:** Closing doors denies essential freedom. Key Takeaway Advocate for inclusive immigration policies. Themes immigration freedom human rights Mood empathetic determined Type advocacy inspirational When to use this quote - asylum seekers - refugee resettlement - community integration Key Concepts border policy human dignity Questions to Reflect On - What are humane alternatives to current restrictions? - How can societies balance security and compassion? A Different Perspective National security concerns complicate openness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) ## Related quotes > [If I can push myself up to the 2018 World Cup, then I'll go on. After that, I'll close the door and stop playing football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianluigi-buffon/if-i-can-push-myself-up-to-the-2018-world-cup-then-i-ll-go-on-after/) [Gianluigi Buffon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianluigi-buffon/) > [“Sometimes you don’t get to close one door before another opens. We’re not all given that luxury, for closure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-slovin/sometimes-you-don-t-get-to-close-one-door-before-another-opens-we-re/) [Abby Slovin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-slovin/) > [“Its funny when people recently change their attitude to gain entrance into your heart, which may only ignite your passion to close the door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/its-funny-when-people-recently-change-their-attitude-to-gain-entrance/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“He’d come here to close that door, but instead he had left it wide open for me to walt through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-bracken/he-d-come-here-to-close-that-door-but-instead-he-had-left-it-wide/) [Alexandra Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-bracken/) > [I have this one room - it has a TV, a sofa, some candles. I close the door, sit down and lose myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-lewis/i-have-this-one-room-it-has-a-tv-a-sofa-some-candles-i-close-the-door/) [Denise Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-lewis/) > [Once an artist makes his personal life public, he can't close that door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romeo-santos/once-an-artist-makes-his-personal-life-public-he-can-t-close-that-door/) [Romeo Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romeo-santos/) > [Fearful mind close the door for great occassions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-bansal/fearful-mind-close-the-door-for-great-occassions/) [Kishore Bansal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-bansal/) > [They'll try to close the door on you... Just open it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-khaled/they-ll-try-to-close-the-door-on-you-just-open-it/) [DJ Khaled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-khaled/) > [Getting a room's not always enough. Sometimes you gotta close the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/getting-a-room-s-not-always-enough-sometimes-you-gotta-close-the-door/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [When you close that door to nowhere throw away the key, we have a tendency to look back and regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-you-close-that-door-to-nowhere-throw-away-the-key-we-have-a/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I don't close the door to anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimitri-payet/i-don-t-close-the-door-to-anything/) [Dimitri Payet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimitri-payet/) > [Ninth generation American, ma'am, and I'm the first one in my family born with all my rights. I'm a ninth generation American. And so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/ninth-generation-american-ma-am-and-i-m-the-first-one-in-my-family/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Millennials are on track to be the first generation in American history worse off than their parents, I know I speak for Americans of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/millennials-are-on-track-to-be-the-first-generation-in-american/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [I'm a first generation American. My mother is Italian and Russian and a lot of other things, and my father is Uruguayan. In fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-arcelus/i-m-a-first-generation-american-my-mother-is-italian-and-russian-and/) [Sebastian Arcelus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-arcelus/) > [I am a first generation American, and my family is from Bulgaria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-labelle/i-am-a-first-generation-american-and-my-family-is-from-bulgaria/) [Leah LaBelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-labelle/) ## More by F. Murray Abraham > [As much preparation as I had made for the old man Salieri, gestures and so on, the fact is after sitting for hours, your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/as-much-preparation-as-i-had-made-for-the-old-man-salieri-gestures/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [If these men decided that they have to go in there and fight, I want them to send their own children and grandchildren. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/if-these-men-decided-that-they-have-to-go-in-there-and-fight-i-want/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [One of the great values of the theater is a communal search for truth; I believe that sincerely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/one-of-the-great-values-of-the-theater-is-a-communal-search-for-truth/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [I was a hoodlum. I was a gang member, and art saved my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/i-was-a-hoodlum-i-was-a-gang-member-and-art-saved-my-life/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [I'm a comedian at heart, and I really can make people laugh, but ever since 'Amadeus,' all I seem to do is play dramatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/i-m-a-comedian-at-heart-and-i-really-can-make-people-laugh-but-ever/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [There are real tricks to getting a job that I just don't like or understand - it feels too close to pandering. I've tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/there-are-real-tricks-to-getting-a-job-that-i-just-don-t-like-or/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [I trust that the president will try, just give it one more shot, some revolutionary way of not doing this, of bringing all those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/i-trust-that-the-president-will-try-just-give-it-one-more-shot-some/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [I love parties. I love a good time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/i-love-parties-i-love-a-good-time/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [I'm passionate about politics, but when it comes to political parties, I'm despondent. I'm disappointed at the absence of a sense of humanity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/i-m-passionate-about-politics-but-when-it-comes-to-political-parties/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [Milos said, You're my first choice. From my point of view, that doesn't pay the rent. I said, Tell me what I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/milos-said-you-re-my-first-choice-from-my-point-of-view-that-doesn-t/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [I can't pretend at how much I object to all of the plays that keep being brought back over and over again, the so-called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/i-can-t-pretend-at-how-much-i-object-to-all-of-the-plays-that-keep/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [I have two brothers buried in the military cemetery in Texas. I don't want to see any more of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/i-have-two-brothers-buried-in-the-military-cemetery-in-texas-i-don-t/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [I'd like President Bush to think maybe there's another way to think, that maybe Kissinger was wrong when he says we had to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/i-d-like-president-bush-to-think-maybe-there-s-another-way-to-think/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [The difficulty is capturing surprise on film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/the-difficulty-is-capturing-surprise-on-film/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [I'm a very proud actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/i-m-a-very-proud-actor/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) [Explore all 49 F. Murray Abraham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm first-generation American - my people came over on boats - and I think it's a shame to close the door on people who really need freedom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "F. 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