LEARNING A LESSON FROM NEW AMERICANS

Keeping the American Dream alive
Fairfield Daily Republic July 7, 2011 By Kelvin Wade

The nation turned 235 this week in the midst of tough economic times. Unfortunately, when times are hard, Americans become more xenophobic. Deportations are up. Georgia has passed a law cracking down on illegal immigrants that has left millions of dollars in crops rotting in fields. Several states are mulling Arizona-style crackdowns. But even while we’re fed up with illegal immigration, a recent Gallup Poll shows the majority of us still think legal immigration is a good thing for America.

A new documentary on HBO called “Citizen USA: A 50 State Road Trip” by Alexandra Pelosi should be must see TV for every American right about now. Rent it on DVD when it comes out. The mostly apolitical hour-long documentary briefly interviews newly naturalized American citizens all over the country.

A newly minted American citizen from Iraq living in Nebraska is asked why he came to America. He gives the most frequently heard answer: “Freedom . . . because everybody around the world is looking for . . . freedom and they can’t find it.”

Marie Jana Korbelova’s family fled to England from Czechoslovakia in the 1940s following the communist crackdown. They eventually moved to the U.S. Her family found America even more welcoming than Britain. Marie Jana Korelova became (former Secretary of State) Madeleine Albright.

Likewise, Heinz (‘Henry’) Alfred Kissinger from Germany, naturalized in 1943, marveled that a foreigner could come to America, become a citizen and become Secretary of State. And it’s happened twice.

New citizens give us insight into things we take for granted. A little person from Indonesia marvels at how well the U.S. accommodates people with disabilities.

Two men from Afghanistan say the best thing about America is that they can walk in public holding a woman’s hand. A gay man from Iran loves the fact that America lets him be who he is.

Hazem Taee from Iraq tells the story of when he first came to America of seeing a person walking a dog that had socks on its feet. He asked the man why he put socks on the dog’s feet and the man said, “Because the pavement is hot.” He was surprised that Americans felt this way about their pets and said that “many people would wish to be even an animal in the United States.“

A particularly moving part of the documentary is watching 52 foreign-born U.S. soldiers take the oath of citizenship. It says something about their character that they would come here, join our military and swear to defend a country when they’re not even citizens. This is why we need to pass the DREAM Act. These soldiers deserve a fast track to citizenship.

Dennis Ogbe from Nigeria, who has lived here for seven years, has earned two degrees including an MBA. He thinks Americans should venture out in the world in order to be humbled at how other people live so we can better appreciate what God has given us.

With our focus on illegal immigration, we often overlook how legal immigrants keep the American dream alive. While I haven’t traveled the world, I’ve been to Mexico many times and the difference in our standard of living and how we conduct our society is striking.

I think Zeenath Larsen from Pakistan says it best in the documentary: “Is there any country in the world that has it enshrined in their Constitution that you have a right to be happy?” Peace.

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ADDITIONAL NOTES: I needed to see this and I think you do too. I'm tired of the steady stream of negativity. Democrats and Republicans fighting over the debt ceiling. The media focused on a presidential race that's over a year away. Debt, spending cuts, taxes, foreclosures, jobs...I needed a little something positive and this was right on time.

Former NY Governor Elliot Spitzer wrote a great piece for Slate last week talking about his travels to Africa and other places around the world. He said that while he hears a lot of talk about Chinese investment when he travels around the globe, that people still identify with American cultural values. While China may be emerging as a new superpower economically, it's still American principles and ideals as well as pop culture that holds the imagination of most of the world. It means something with all of the talk of America in decline that more people still want to come to this country than any other in the world.

I'm not Pollyanna. Yeah, we've got a crapload of problems. No joke. But America is still the symbol of freedom in the world. That means something to me.