Happy Fourth of July!

           Happy Fourth of July! Every year on this day, people go around saying how much they love America and how great a nation it is. This patriotism is a good thing, of course, but it sometimes feels empty and void of true belief on behalf of the public. Phrases like “I love my country” and “The USA is amazing” have become July 4^th’s equivalent to the cashier’s “Have a nice day!” They are said only because not saying them would be rude and socially unacceptable. Therefore, instead of just posting a status on Facebook with the generic Happy Fourth (yes, I know it’s the title of this post), I’ve decided to share a story with that reveals one of America’s true virtues.

            As many of you know, I am a first-generation American; my parents’ and grandparents’ generations were born and raised in the Soviet Union. When the USSR collapsed in 1991, my mother and her parents found themselves in the middle of a civil war in Moldova (a former Soviet Republic). As with all multinational empires throughout history, nationalist sentiments were a perpetual and powerful force in the Soviet region. Thus, uprisings broke out in many republics post-1991. My maternal grandmother is a Ukrainian Jew; on its own, this made her, as well as her husband and daughter, into targets for persecution. To make matters worse, my grandfather is Russian Orthodox and at the time, was a very highly ranked Russian army officer. This mix of ethnicity and religion made the Moldovan crisis into a terrible ordeal for my mother and her parents. The native Moldovans rallied with anti-Semitism and nationalism, pushing Jews, Russians and all other non-Moldovans back to their homelands during the Trans-Dniester crisis.

            My family’s attempt to wait out the war was short-lived. Residence, jobs, and even basic amenities and food products were extremely scarce. My grandparents could no longer live a humane lifestyle, let alone find a future for their 21 year old, college-educated daughter. Thus, they began the immigration process to the United States. My grandmother’s two brothers as well as my uncle already lived here; this gave them grounds for approval. After a maze of paperwork my mother and her parents were approved to come to America.

            The United States took in thousands of refugees that found themselves in the same predicament as my family. For that, I believe, this country should be recognized. By no means is everything perfect here, the flaws are countless. However, America has been a beacon of hope and a promised land for millions throughout its young history. As this nation gets one year older, we owe it to celebrate this fact. With that, have a happy Independence Day!