Being American

Three-quarters of my mother's grandparents came to America in the late 1800s from the Azores. They insisted that their children speak English and learn to do most things the American way. Food, arts, and music were passed on from the Portuguese Azorean culture, but pride in nation was all American. They were proud to gain citizenship, and proud that their children would have opportunities in America that their tiny islands would never have made available. I am proud of my Azorean heritage, but make no mistake, I am an American. A Veteran. An appreciative exerciser of my freedoms and rights. And I want our culture to remain American, even as we give a nod to the history from which we sprang, even as we smile seeing things from our various nations of heritage. My loyalty and my heart are in America.