Wonder Woman of the Week: Emma Lazarus
No American poet is more well known while simultaneously unknown as this week's Wonder Woman. Emma Lazarus's most famous poem is bronzed on a plaque at the feet of the Statue of Liberty- directing the "wretched refuse" to find sanctuary in the United States. This poetess however is more than just the author of a commemorative plaque. Instead, she was a world-respected poet, women's rights activist, and powerful writer for Jewish civil rights. Lazarus was born in New York City in 1849 to a Sephardic Jewish family whose ancestry in New York City predated American independence. In fact, Lazarus' early ancestors were some of the first Jewish residents of the city- arriving before it was even called New York- to find refuge from the growing Inquisition in Portugal and Spain in a new land with promises of religious tolerance. Throughout her childhood, Lazarus spent her youth studying English literature along with taking German, Italian, and French language lessons. From that education, Lazarus developed both a passion and a skill for poetry.
In 1881, the Russian Emperor fell victim to assassination. As a result, the Imperial Russian government sponsored a massive anti-semitic campaign across the empire causing countless Jewish Russians to emigrate in order to avoid persecution. The result was the largest wave of Jewish immigration to the United States. During this era, immigrants- regardless of nation of origin- faced stiff backlash and discrimination, so Emma Lazarus began using her poetry as a tool for advocating for the rights of Jewish immigrants. By 1881, Lazarus had become a well-respected translator of French novels as well as a friend of capitalist theory and transcendentalist philosophy. As a result, Lazarus had mad respect among both politicians and protesters. During her activism era, Lazarus toured Europe twice to both advertise her poetry and advocate for refugee civil rights.
When Emma Lazarus died in 1887 at only 38 years old, she left behind a legacy of literary greatness and social activism. Not only was Lazarus a skilled translator, but she was a world-respected poet and political essayist. Not only was Lazarus an activist for Jewish civil rights, she was worked hard to create a nation more accepting of refugees. Five years after her death, Lazarus' words were permanently inscribed into the Statue of Liberty- a portion of her poem "The New Colossus." "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Lazarus advocated for the dream so many immigrants had for America- a land that could be a sanctuary for the oppressed across the globe- a dream Lazarus worked hard to turn into a reality, and a dream countless Americans in her honor continue to work to create.
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