Thomas Jefferson, "Notes on the State of Virginia--Population"

Since kindergarten, as Americans, we are taught that America is the 'land of opportunity' or a 'grand melting pot' of sorts. We are taught that part of our nation's strength lies in its diversity and its openness to offer freedom to anyone who wishes to obtain it. I suppose because I have never been taught to question this that I have always just made the assumption that this "openness," per se, dates as far back as our founding fathers. However, after reading this part of Jefferson's "Notes on the State of Virgina" I am both intrigued and put-off by his conclusions. Now it should be duly noted that the primary desire for immigration has changed over the centuries, as Jefferson saw America wanting merely to, "produce rapid population by as great importations of foreigners as possible..." but interestingly enough he goes on to question if this is the best thing for our country. While he notes the advantages it proposes such as larger numbers, more legitimacy as our own nation, and a stronger work force, he wonders if it may not be more worthwhile to consider the long term and create our own mass population. Ultimately it seems like the common fear amongst our ancestors was that openly inviting people from foreign nations would dissolve our abilities to form a strictly American culture, and if the culture it would create would potentially be, "more turbulent, less happy, [and] less strong," perhaps waiting and creating the population strictly of American citizens would be worthwhile. Overall I just found this to be a startling look into the philosophy of a nation that in recent history has been so stereotyped as open to the people of the world.