AlCast

It was 43 years ago when I proudly became a naturalized US citizen. My parents sacrificed the comforts and familiarity of their native country and embarked on a journey seeking a better life for them and their 4 children. It was a decision my parents never looked back and never regretted. They made sacrifices, especially my father who left a very successful career. They have passed away now but my siblings and I know they are smiling down on us: their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We took full advantage of the opportunities America has to offer. We still miss our native country. We visit it often, not just just to rekindle our love for it but also to remind us why we came to this country. There will always be a place in our hearts for our native country but we have committed our love and loyalty to our adopted country. It is not perfect. It has its problems. But we want to preserve the goodness in it. We want to preserve its very essence that attracted us and others to immigrate in the first place. What is the “essence” of being American? Well, I hope this is something we can explore and revisit as Grateful Immigrants.
In the meantime, let us remember (to quote John McCain), “We are Americans first, Americans last, Americans always”