Spread Conciousness
American Citizen
One of my clients was recently awarded citizenship to this great nation of ours after over a dozen years. In many ways he has lived the American Dream. Anyway, i thought i'd copy his note to my company as it really touched a chord and opened my eyes to many things we take for granted as American citizens.
"I wanted to share with our friends that last April 24th was a very happy
day for myself and my wife. We are very proud to have become AMERICANS.
After 12 years of calling the United States our home we now call it OUR
COUNTRY.
It was a ceremony that had over 1,000 new to become American Citizens
plus another 1,000 of their family members.
It was a beautiful and very emotional ceremony. There were members of
the Marines, Navy and US Army. The keynote speaker was a judge that came
from Puerto Rico (although American by birth) when he was a kid and he
shared his story of coming from poverty to become a Judge in Orlando,
FL.
We received a letter signed by President Bush that said:
"Americans are united across the generations by grand and enduring
ideals.
The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding promise that everyone
belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, and that no insignificant
person was ever born. Our country has never been united by blood or
birth or soil. We are bound by principles that move us beyond our
backgrounds, lift us above our interests, and teach us what means to be
citizens. And every new citizen, by embracing these ideals, makes our
country more, not less, American."
I was not fully expecting and aware of what this day would mean to me.
Looking back to 1996 when our journey started, after having decided to
move away from the urban violence of our native city (Rio de Janeiro)
with especial concern for our newborn baby, we came to the US because we
wanted to improve our quality of life in a very broad sense and be part
of something I call "good spirit vibration". My father is a lawyer in
Brazil and my mother is a CPA and we were blessed with a good financial
situation but that was not the driving force. I used to visit Orlando
since the early 80's and I always admired the welcoming and generosity
of our fellow Americans.
April 24th 2008 was one of the happiest days in my life and my wife's. I
also understand that it's almost impossible for our Brazilian friends
and family to understand how deep this feeling is. It's a feeling of
accomplishment, belonging, pride, victory and appreciation.
Thank you,
"I wanted to share with our friends that last April 24th was a very happy
day for myself and my wife. We are very proud to have become AMERICANS.
After 12 years of calling the United States our home we now call it OUR
COUNTRY.
It was a ceremony that had over 1,000 new to become American Citizens
plus another 1,000 of their family members.
It was a beautiful and very emotional ceremony. There were members of
the Marines, Navy and US Army. The keynote speaker was a judge that came
from Puerto Rico (although American by birth) when he was a kid and he
shared his story of coming from poverty to become a Judge in Orlando,
FL.
We received a letter signed by President Bush that said:
"Americans are united across the generations by grand and enduring
ideals.
The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding promise that everyone
belongs, that everyone deserves a chance, and that no insignificant
person was ever born. Our country has never been united by blood or
birth or soil. We are bound by principles that move us beyond our
backgrounds, lift us above our interests, and teach us what means to be
citizens. And every new citizen, by embracing these ideals, makes our
country more, not less, American."
I was not fully expecting and aware of what this day would mean to me.
Looking back to 1996 when our journey started, after having decided to
move away from the urban violence of our native city (Rio de Janeiro)
with especial concern for our newborn baby, we came to the US because we
wanted to improve our quality of life in a very broad sense and be part
of something I call "good spirit vibration". My father is a lawyer in
Brazil and my mother is a CPA and we were blessed with a good financial
situation but that was not the driving force. I used to visit Orlando
since the early 80's and I always admired the welcoming and generosity
of our fellow Americans.
April 24th 2008 was one of the happiest days in my life and my wife's. I
also understand that it's almost impossible for our Brazilian friends
and family to understand how deep this feeling is. It's a feeling of
accomplishment, belonging, pride, victory and appreciation.
Thank you,
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