to be an American

“America is not just a country. It is an idea.” Bono

About thirty years ago, there was a large influx of Nigerians to the community in which I now live. They came in droves and they stayed. They were immigrants who had come to make a better life for themselves and their families. What’s very interesting about these people as that they now see themselves as somehow being above the immigrants that are now moving in. In fact, they will often badmouth the new immigrants yet, when pointed out that they too are immigrants, will respond by simply saying that they’ve “been here for thirty years.” To me this is a good, if extreme example of what is taking place across America right now. What gives me the right to state who is and who is not allowed to come to America and try and make a better life for themselves and their family? Isn’t that why my family came? Isn’t that what our country was built on? Isn’t that exactly what our forefathers came to America to do? In fact, isn’t that what makes us American?

I’ve been holding off on this one for a while because I don’t really feel that I can lend any justice to the conversation. There are many arguments that can be made on behalf of immigrants. They take the jobs that we don’t want. They’re often harder working people than we are, often working at least two jobs or more. There is no Christian way to justify the thought process that immigrants should be sent back home. It’s just not a Christ like value.

But I think I’d simply like to appeal to people’s patriotism today, on the 4th of July. What makes us American? A historian once said that “You come here, and you ascent, and you’re American.” To me it’s the belief that everybody gets a vote. That we, as a group of people, are capable of governing ourselves. That religious freedom is a human right. That free enterprise is what makes a nation strong and that we all have a right to give it a shot. And that if you’re prepared to come to America (sacrificing what most immigrants have to sacrifice to get to there), work hard, and embrace America, you’re American.

My family has only been in the U.S. for four generations. Olyvia makes generation number five. I’m glad that we had that opportunity. And I’m glad that the Vietnamese family across the street from me growing up had that opportunity. And I’m glad that the Jordanians living beside my parents now had that opportunity. Both of these families are the best neighbours we ever had.

America is not just a country. America is an idea.