---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 1923 there were no government benefits…"
description: "\"In 1923 there were no government benefits for immigrants except one: Freedom!\" — Rick Santorum"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/rick-santorum-1840_benefits_in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefit_115740.jpg"
---

#  In 1923 there were no government benefits for immigrants…

![“In 1923 there were no government benefits for immigrants except one: Freedom!” quote by Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/rick-santorum-1840_benefits_in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefit_115740.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/rick-santorum-1840_benefits_in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefit_115740.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/rick-santorum-1840_benefits_in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefit_115740.jpg)

> “In 1923 there were no government benefits for immigrants except one: Freedom!”

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The statement claims that in 1923, the only benefit granted to immigrants was the abstract concept of freedom, implying a lack of material support.

**In simple terms:** Immigrants got only freedom then.

Key Takeaway

Freedom as sole benefit.

Themes

immigration history political rhetoric freedom social policy

Mood

critical historical

Type

political historical claim

When to use this quote

- debating immigration policy
- teaching early 20th‑century US history

Key Concepts

historical context political framing

Practical Applications

- Use as a rhetorical hook in policy discussions
- Contrast with modern benefit structures

Questions to Reflect On

- What other benefits or challenges did immigrants face in the 1920s?
- How does the concept of 'freedom' differ from material support?

A Different Perspective

Factually inaccurate; 1923 saw various state and local aid programs, and many immigrants faced restrictions and hardships.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[1923 Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1923-government-1361433/) [Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/) [Benefits Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits-immigrants-1361434/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Benefits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-benefits-1151715/) [Immigrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants/) [Immigrants Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrants-freedom-1361432/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/)

## Related quotes

> [When government does, occasionally, work, it works in an elitist fashion. That is, government is most easily manipulated by people who have money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/when-government-does-occasionally-work-it-works-in-an-elitist-fashion/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [The more the state gives to its citizens, the less they have to earn. That is the basic concept of the welfare state -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-more-the-state-gives-to-its-citizens-the-less-they-have-to-earn/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [America can enjoy a vital, fully functioning government, with all the benefits provided by Texas, while reducing Texas at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-frazier/america-can-enjoy-a-vital-fully-functioning-government-with-all-the/)

[Ian Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-frazier/)

> [Unless they can pass the same test that immigrants must pass to become citizens, people shouldnt be allowed to vote. The idea that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-reese/unless-they-can-pass-the-same-test-that-immigrants-must-pass-to/)

[Charley Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-reese/)

> [And the same goes for government benefits. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that 62 percent of households headed by illegal immigrants use some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/and-the-same-goes-for-government-benefits-the-center-for-immigration/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [In my view, immigrants today aren't any different from immigrants who have come to America throughout our nation's history. They bring new ideas, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-armey/in-my-view-immigrants-today-aren-t-any-different-from-immigrants-who/)

[Dick Armey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-armey/)

> [If you care about your personal liberty, you'll be cautious when you feel comfortable, blame all the illegal immigrants for everything. What you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/if-you-care-about-your-personal-liberty-you-ll-be-cautious-when-you/)

[Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/)

> [Let us leave the EEC, abolish human rights laws, take TV sets, pool tables and phones out of prisons, bring back corporal and capital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-bates/let-us-leave-the-eec-abolish-human-rights-laws-take-tv-sets-pool/)

[Ken Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-bates/)

> [Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/throughout-our-history-the-words-of-the-declaration-have-inspired/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [If you chose a particular religion, you were siding with the government religion of whatever region you were in. That's never been true in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/if-you-chose-a-particular-religion-you-were-siding-with-the/)

[Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/)

> [We're going to create factory jobs for recent immigrants, and Donald Trump is going to take care of them. That's why his numbers, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sessions/we-re-going-to-create-factory-jobs-for-recent-immigrants-and-donald/)

[Jeff Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sessions/)

> [I don't like it when I see a racist comedian go up and say, 'What are we gonna do about all these immigrants?' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/i-don-t-like-it-when-i-see-a-racist-comedian-go-up-and-say-what-are/)

[Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/)

> [Ed Koch once said that New York City is where immigrants come to audition for America. That's what happened to my parents; that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-manuel-miranda/ed-koch-once-said-that-new-york-city-is-where-immigrants-come-to/)

[Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-manuel-miranda/)

> [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/)

[Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/)

## More by Rick Santorum

> [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [We had 90 percent rates, but nobody paid them. And so you had all these exemptions, exclusions, shelters, all this kind of stuff. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-had-90-percent-rates-but-nobody-paid-them-and-so-you-had-all-these/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [I would say any type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-would-say-any-type-of-sexual-activity-has-absolutely-no-place-in/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [I support the death penalty and will continue to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-support-the-death-penalty-and-will-continue-to-do-that/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [Suffering, if you're a Christian, suffering is a part of life. And it's not a bad thing, it is an essential thing in life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/suffering-if-you-re-a-christian-suffering-is-a-part-of-life-and-it-s/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture, ... When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/priests-like-all-of-us-are-affected-by-culture-when-the-culture-is/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [“The basic unit of society is the family. No one comes into this world as a self-sufficient individual. We start out as the helpless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-basic-unit-of-society-is-the-family-no-one-comes-into-this-world/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [Now is the time to act or get stuck with a bland, boring, career politician who will lose to Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/now-is-the-time-to-act-or-get-stuck-with-a-bland-boring-career/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [My mom was a working woman. She made more money than my dad. Both my parents worked. And this was in the '60s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/my-mom-was-a-working-woman-she-made-more-money-than-my-dad-both-my/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [Almost 60,000 average Americans had the courage to go out and charge those beaches on Normandy, to drop out of airplanes who knows where,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/almost-60-000-average-americans-had-the-courage-to-go-out-and-charge/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [ The state has a right to do that \[outlaw contraceptives\], I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that. It… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-state-has-a-right-to-do-that-outlaw-contraceptives-i-have-never/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [ One of Governor Romney's aides today on television said that Governor Romney, after he wins the primaries, will be like an \[Etch A Sketch\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/one-of-governor-romney-s-aides-today-on-television-said-that-governor/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [I dont know of one group of people thats more disliked than politicians -- it may be the folks who gave us the Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-dont-know-of-one-group-of-people-thats-more-disliked-than/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [Obviously the first thing we need to do is repeal “Obamacare.” That's one entitlement that we can get rid of. And that's a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/obviously-the-first-thing-we-need-to-do-is-repeal-obamacare-that-s/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

> [If you look at the big entertainment industry and their pursuit of the bottom line profits in exchange for producing content and distributing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/if-you-look-at-the-big-entertainment-industry-and-their-pursuit-of/)

[Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

[Explore all 204 Rick Santorum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/)

## More Benefits quotes

> [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/)

[Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/)

> [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [Shortly after I turned 50, both Ted Turner and the AARP came into my life. The only difference? With AARP, there were benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/shortly-after-i-turned-50-both-ted-turner-and-the-aarp-came-into-my/)

[Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/politics-is-about-power-it-is-about-the-power-of-the-state-it-is/)

[Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/)

> [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/)

[Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/)

> [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-think-of-education-as-the-means-of-developing-our-greatest/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/)

[Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/)

> [I won the seat of Oxley largely on an issue that has resulted in me being called a racist. That issue related to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/i-won-the-seat-of-oxley-largely-on-an-issue-that-has-resulted-in-me/)

[Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/)

> [Intelligence is a separate gift, for the benefit of students, so that they may think of themselves as intellectual and not very intelligent, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/intelligence-is-a-separate-gift-for-the-benefit-of-students-so-that/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I've always said that I benefit, as an actor, from not having the illusion of security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-ve-always-said-that-i-benefit-as-an-actor-from-not-having-the/)

[Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/)

> [Benefits received are a delight to us as long as we think we can requite them; when that possibility is far exceeded, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/benefits-received-are-a-delight-to-us-as-long-as-we-think-we-can/)

[Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/)

[Browse all 3,616 Benefits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefits/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In 1923 there were no government benefits for immigrants except one: Freedom!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rick Santorum"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefits-for-immigrants-except-one/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Benefits"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefits-for-immigrants-except-one/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/rick-santorum-1840_benefits_in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefit_115740.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/rick-santorum-1840_benefits_in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefit_115740.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/rick-santorum-1840_benefits_in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefit_115740.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In 1923 there were no government benefits for immigrants except one: Freedom!” — Rick Santorum",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Rick Santorum",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In 1923 there were no government...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefits-for-immigrants-except-one/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefits-for-immigrants-except-one/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
