The US has historically projected two conflicting messages: w promote our founding myth as a haven for those fleeing persecution, even as we have spurned the newcomer as not authentically American. Our nation is experiencing one of its periodic episodes of nativism and xenophobia. For those who are ethically minded, it is the occasion to deepen our commitment to the best of American ideals. It is time for us to reconsider our relationship to "the other," the stranger in our midst.