My father came to the United States at 18 years old. He wanted to make a life for himself that wasn’t in Guyana. He knew America was the land of opportunities, so he got on a boat and came. Being illegal, he had to adapt to become American, to avoid exposure or deportation. Ironic enough, these mass deportations were during Clinton’s time — yet Trump’s the racist. Being the daughter of an illegal immigrant, he has taught me many things about why I should appreciate being an American. Since America’s birthday just passed, I thought I’d share those reasons.

Never take what you have for granted.

My father worked to get what he wanted. He was never handed anything. We cannot take what freedoms we have as a country. This is especially important since so many on the Left wish to bring socialist ideas to the country. My parents escaped a socialist country, and for them, seeing so many young people hating on America and loving socialism or communism, it astonished them. We, as Americans, cannot take our freedoms lightly. Just as we easily have them, we can easily lose them. As Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

Always work hard.

You cannot expect everything to be handed to you. My mother and father learned that early on. You must work for what you want. Nothing is ever free. Someone has to pay for it. Instead of letting someone make decisions for you, take control! Work for the future or career you want. If you do that, you’ll be happy. My father worked his entire life to provide for his family and now he can look back in pride at all he’s accomplished.

Respect those in authority.

Many young people think it’s edgy to say “F*ck the President and our troops.” In actuality, that is not okay. For people like my parents, who came from socialist conditions, they recognize how important it is to respect our leaders. You don’t have to agree with them, but you can respect their position. That’s what many in this generation are lacking.

Be proud of your country.

We truly live in an amazing nation. There’s no where else you have the opportunities or freedoms in America. Now some of those freedoms are being torn apart but we have to remember our roots, our history and what makes America great. As a nation, we are more close than we are apart. Despite our race, religion, political affiliation, we are all Americans. We are not as apart as the media says we are. Once we remember that, we will be better off.

As the daughter of two immigrants, I realize why we should be proud to be Americans. America may not be perfect, but America is not a mistake. More people should realize this. God bless the United States of America!

Hannah is the founder of the blog, Young Patriot Rising. When she’s not writing about ending human trafficking or current political issues, she loves to drink coffee, watch true crime shows, and listen to country music. 

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