Thread by @aggierican

A short story about how I came to love being American. /1

#HappyIndependenceDay

I was born in Puerto Rico in the 60s. My dad brought us to Texas in 1976. /2

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That summer, everything was red, white, and blue, and I mean EVERYTHING. /3

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I had never seen such a pretty place, so color-coordinated. Unknown to me and my sisters, we had just crashed the biggest party ever. /4

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Everywhere we went, we saw unintelligible signs with flowers and fireworks. My dad would translate them for us. /5

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Finally, I asked what the celebration was for. In PR it's known but not really celebrated. /6

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For the next three hours, Dad tells us the kid-friendly version of the American Revolution. The only thing missing was a campfire. /7

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Until this point, I had not understood that I was American. I was Puerto Rican, but that always been separate. /8

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I was conflicted. Part of me was loyal to my homeland, but another part recognized the importance of being American. /9

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My dad came here for the opportunity to make a better life for us. I understood what *opportunity* meant. /10

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I also understood that I was still different. As a person born in PR, I'm a citizen by act of Congress, not birthright. /11

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And because of that, I cherish my citizenship just a bit more than some others. I see it as a gift, and a responsibility. /12

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That gift affords me freedoms I can never take for granted. /13

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I see many people hating this holiday, hating this country, hating everything it stands for. And I am HAPPY to see it. /14

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That is a freedom a lot of people around the world can't even begin to comprehend. /15

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So on this day, I am grateful to see people express their love of our country, and their dislike of it. I am grateful they have the freedom to do so. /16

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And I am forever grateful to the sons and daughters of this country who sacrificed so much so that people could raise their voice. /17

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Our history isn't perfect, but it is grand. It's a wonderful experiment, one that affords us plenty of chances to learn from mistakes. /18

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And I for one am happy to learn.

God bless this great country, and let freedom ring, always. /end

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