By Jena Seidemann
Student Life Editor
March 13, 2001 was the day. It was the day that my greatest ambition was to play with the judge’s gavel and hit it on the block, but I was in the courthouse for a greater purpose and reason: I was becoming a citizen of the United States
Being only 3-years-old at the time, I did not understand the importance of the day I gained my US citizenship. After months and months of paperwork and legal documents, my parent’s dream was coming true.
After attempting to hit the block with gavel multiple times, the judge would answer ‘not yet’ and would gently take the gavel away. Once he was finished with the business aspects, he proudly gave me the gavel, and as I struck it on the block, I proudly proclaimed, “I am a Texan-American.”
To backtrack a little further, my story is an incredible one that continues to humble and blow me away because it shows the ultimate grace of God.
I was born in the Yunnan province of China in a town called Kunming or the Spring City. Though I do not know the exact circumstances of why I was put on the police doorstep right after birth, I am grateful; grateful that I live in the greatest country in the world and had a chance at a better life.
From there, I was adopted at the age of 2 and moved to Coppell with my loving mother, father, brother and my two cats.
Having direct immigrant routes, I appreciate things that some other kids do not, and since my parents are both in wheelchairs, I have a different outlook on life.
People would remark that I was more serious or more mature than my peers, and this is because of how I was raised. There is more expected of me because of my circumstances and in turn more responsibility. To some this may be trivial, but while kids learned to pump gas after they got their car, I learned to do at the age of 10 so my parents would not have to get out of the car. I do not know many kids that go grocery shopping for their parents, much less like it, but I did it because it was a way to help out; plus, I found and still find it enjoyable.
When talking about immigration and other controversial topics our society is too political, scheming and manipulative, and I am tired of it. If I must say something political about immigration, it would be this: I am against illegal immigration because of the people who followed the system and worked hard doing so. For example, those who immigrated to Ellis Island risked everything for a dream and worked hard to fulfill it for themselves, their children and their children’s children.
In the first grade, Mockingbird Elementary school had a celebration for our lunch lady, Mrs. Consuelo, because she had become a United States citizen, learned English and gotten a job, the right way.
In truth, every American, no matter how long their family has been American born, has immigrant roots. Even the Native Americans were said to have migrated from Asia across the Bering Strait.
Immigrants are the backbone of our country, and they should not be looked down upon. While there are many who cheat the system, a great majority are some of the hardest workers and are the epitome of the American dream.
Our country is a melting pot of cultures and beliefs, and I love it. It is the reason why our soldiers fight today and why a bunch of rag-tag farmers-turned soldiers fought for that belief years ago when our nation was born, born on the belief that if people had a dream, wanted it and worked hard, they could achieve it. Just as they fight to protect our ability to dream, we must fight for our dreams and continue to pursue what we believe in because it is the American way. Giving up is not an option.
The land of opportunity has given me a life I could never have in China. It has given me intangible life lessons that will guide me through life, a drive to succeed in all I do. There are times where I reflect and realize that if I were not American, I would be a poor farmer with no hope or future. I guess I got lucky.
