Do you know that today is Chinese New Year? You may ask “So what? What does that mean to me?” But I must admit, it is one of the things I love about our country. What is that one thing? I love the ethnic diversity of our country, and the way in which that diversity ends up blended together to form a new blended U.S. culture.
I live in Pennsylvania. In my life, I have been Irish, Italian, German, Hispanic, Chinese, and Mexican. At least in the celebrations and customs in which I have been privileged to participate. And with each new custom, each new celebration, I take a little back with me that I get to make my own. That is our American custom.
When you think about immigration, do you think about that? Have you considered that each new immigrant brings not a new culture to our country, but a new ingredient to what is bound to be a new culture? And if you are the immigrant, don’t believe those few people who will preach to you, who will plead with you, and will attempt to convince you that you must keep your own culture alive in this new land. Instead, embrace the culture in which you find yourself surrounded and add your own culture to it, instead of keeping it separate and distinct. Bring in the culture and blend it with your own… but most importantly, let your culture out and let others blend with theirs.
