What America Means to Me

Readers of The Key Newspaper were asked to write an essay on "What America Means to Me."  Although we wanted to print every article submitted to us, we could only choose a small number because of space limits.

The following entries represent the heartfelt feelings our readers have for this country.  Everyone, whether they were born here, or adopted the USA as their new home, thought of America as a place of freedom and opportunity

Thanks to everyone who wrote to us and to their teachers who supported this project.

** 

The United States of America is a beautiful country.  I have had great opportunities here.  We have great protection from our soldiers and police officers, and the medical system is good also.  Living here has made me feel secure, not only for myself, but for my children and grandchildren.  The United States has a variety of people from different countries, cultures and religions.  That is the great thing about our country…that it doesn't matter who you are, or where you come from, they accept you with open arms.  I am proud of being Puerto Rican, but I am also proud to live in this county.  I am proud of being an American because even though our country suffered a great loss on September 11th, we still managed to grow closer together.

Virginia Guzman

 **

My life changed when my family and I left Mexico and arrived in the USA.  America is the land of dreams and opportunities.  We came here to the USA 15 years ago because we have a child with the disability cerebral palsy.  My son was almost 5 years old, and he never received therapy or went to school in Mexico.  We never received help for our son in Mexico.  There aren't schools for people with problems like that.  When we came here to Milwaukee, my son started school and therapy the first week!  We are very happy for that and for coming to this country.  For me, America is the best country because this country gives the opportunity to work and medical health to everybody.  The life in the USA is easier for everybody.  We are glad God gave us the opportunity to come here to this wonderful country, the USA.

Francisco Lopez                       

** 

When the civil war started in Somalia, we were living Mogadishu.  My family and I stayed at our home until Sunday night, the 25th of January in 1991.  We saw gunmen attack our home, and they killed two of my brothers and took all my properties.  My daughter and I went through the window.  We fled from Somalia, and we came to Uganda.  The United Nations of Uganda helped us resettle in the United States of America.  We want to get a good life and security in the United States of America.  We arrived here on the 24th of September in 2001.  Now we are living in Milwaukee, and we are learning the English language.

Noor Muse Osman                                

**

America brings lots of opportunity.  There are people of different races who come to America to find safety and new life.  There are great opportunities in employment, medical care, security and education for everyone who comes here.  I feel very comfortable living here because in Puerto Rico we do not have many jobs.  Despite what has happened in America on September 11th, I still feel secure and am happy to be here.  Thanks, America.

Iris Nancy Martinez

**   

America is for me good opportunities.

America is for me liberty.

America is for me a wonderful country.

America is for me an option to make money working.

America is for me good government.

Thank you, America.

Ignacio Sanchez 

** 

America has given me the opportunity to be a better person and grow as a woman.  In America, I can experience different kinds of jobs.  America has better education for my kids and better medical assistance.

Zoraida Muniz 

**

My life changed when my family and I left Mexico and moved to the USA.  America is the land of dreams and opportunities.  We came here to the USA 26 years ago because I needed to work and make a family sustaining income.  In Medico it is difficult to find work.  I worked on the farm daily, and I earned very little to support my family.  I then decided, and God gave me the opportunity, to move to this country where I began to work very hard.  And my hard work generated a good check every week for 26 years, until Pfister & Vogel decided to move to another country.  Now, thanks to God and to the USA, I own my own home and my own automobile, and more importantly, the opportunity to better my education.  Thanks to the USA for providing opportunities without limitations.

Luis Arteaga 

**

Being a woman in America means a lot to me.  In certain countries like Afghanistan, the women are not able to show their faces, and if they reveal them, they'll be harmed by the men of Afghanistan.

We are in the land of opportunity where we as women can make our own decisions in whatever we choose to do in life; however, women of Afghanistan are controlled by everything the men say.

In America we have strong independent women in all nationalities who have a job, own their own businesses, homes, cars, and even manage their own finances; however, in Afghanistan, the women have to sit on the street to beg for money and feed and support their children.

I appreciate being a free woman in America because I can show my face and be seen.  I am able to show the world that I'm part of this awesome country.  (edited for length)

Latrice Jordan 

**

While some people think the United States is just fifty states, it means a lot more to me.  The U.S. is my home.  It is possible do whatever you want here, but you must work hard for it.

In America everyone can go to school and get a good education.  In our country, there is no slavery, but you must work for your money.  Everyone that lives here is lucky because there is more freedom here than any other country.  We don't have to get on our hands and knees and work in a field all day until it is dark.

To me our colors of the flag really stand for something.  Red (is) for the blood of the soldiers who died for our country.  White is for all the hope that I have for this country.  Blue (is) for the sky that numerous people look into and dream all their dreams. (edited for length)

Carolyn Fenske

**

About twenty years ago when I came to this country, the USA, I could see a lot of differences between my country Mexico and this country.  I found a lot of opportunities in education.  There are beautiful social programs for emergencies like Red Cross, public assistance, etc.  Also, what really surprises me is how much respect the American people have for others.  Something that is very good in this country is the respect of human rights for everyone.  The USA gives legal help to people who have not done anything wrong.  People do not have to have a lot of money to get their legal rights and for all of this.  That is what America means to me.

Jose Martinez 

**

To me America means freedom.  I have seen a lot of progress in America, both good and bad.  America is the land of many opportunities.  America has more freedom than any other country.  Our country is one of the strongest!  We have one of the biggest markets.  We have the best oil and land.  We have freedom of speech.  Our country is very well organized.  We stick together through all kinds of circumstances. When it comes to hard times, our country is unbreakable.

Immigrants love our country because they understand how successful American can be.  We live for peace!  America gives you a choice between good and evil.  We're not forced to do hard labor, like some other countries.  America has very good education for people of all ages.  Men and women are treated equally.  We have a lot of civil rights.  Our law system is very helpful for anything that you can't understand.  There are free lawyers for people who can't afford them.

Our country is a place you can fulfill all your dreams if you try hard enough.  Our country has a law against discrimination, so that makes our country a very livable place for people of all races and sex.  People's faith is a big thing in America.  We have so many different cultures.  It's very exciting to learn about different things.

Now, we do have not so good points in America.  We have a lot of poverty, too many people, and not enough jobs.  So many go hungry, but our country tries to keep food in everyone's mouth, though we're not always successful.  We also have too many kids that can't get adopted.  We also have too many unwed mothers trying to take care of a baby when they can barely take care of themselves. We also have too many bars, which cause a lot of drunk driving.  America is overloaded with drugs, guns, and violent killings.  Aids is killing our people by the millions.  But I feel our country has more good than bad (to offer).  The saying is true:  America is the home of the brave. (edited for length)

Jeanette Bonner-Bowen