Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson caused a firestorm Monday when he referred to slaves as "immigrants."
"That's what America is about, a land of dreams and opportunity. There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less. But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters, might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land."
It turns out, however, that Carson wasn't the first black man in politics to do so. In December 2015, then President Barack Obama made similar comments during a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives. Obama did not specifically say "slaves" during his speech; he instead said "those of African heritage who had not come her voluntarily" who "in their own way were immigrants themselves."
The full quote, per the Obama administration's archives:
"And perhaps, like some of you, these new arrivals might have had some moments of doubt, wondering if they had made a mistake in leaving everything and everyone they ever knew behind. So life in America was not always easy. It wasn’t always easy for new immigrants. Certainly it wasn’t easy for those of African heritage who had not come here voluntarily, and yet in their own way were immigrants themselves. There was discrimination and hardship and poverty. But, like you, they no doubt found inspiration in all those who had come before them. And they were able to muster faith that, here in America, they might build a better life and give their children something more."
The section referred to above in Obama's speech can be viewed in the video up top.
