No, I wasn't born here. Yes, I am American. I loved this article: NYTimes: Children of Immigrants. It pulls together anecdotes of how children of immigrants struggle to identify with their particular brand of American.
What does it mean to be an American? For me it's acknowledging that my parents moved us to the other side of the world for a better life, and that many families continue to do this today. That my family's roots in the US may be newer than others', but they're still here. That I carry the passport above and have the means to use it. That I have access to many resources, advantages, and cultures that, even in this ever globalizing world, still is considered a privilege. That I can talk sh*t about politics I don't like and not worry about the government arresting me (checking my inbox, maybe), and that I can vote for or against any politics in a free election. It's not easy to officially be an American, but I've known many people who live the spirit of America. I know this country isn't perfect but I love it and all of the different kinds of Americans in it.
The line in the article about not celebrating Thanksgiving made me laugh - I'm sure my family does't celebrate it quite the way other families around us do, but the I will take any excuse to have a huge meal and take the day off, so cheers to the Pilgrims on that one.
