I am the daughter of an immigrant. My mother came to the United States of America in 1980 from the Philippines and became a US citizen in 1988. She raised me to be a patriot and love my country. 

As I sit here and think about all that is happening in our nation, I reflect on why I love my country so much. I think of the many family members who serve in the military, I think of my own two sons who serve in the Marine Corps, and I think of all the opportunities I have living here in America. However, I realize the main reason I love our country so much is because I was taught to love it by a woman who was born and raised in another country. 

“The patriot blood of my father was warm in my veins.”

Clara Barton

My strong patriotism comes from my mother. She never took for granted the opportunities she had here in America and she passed that on to me. She would tell me stories of living in poverty and having to work before and after school in order to pay for her education. She talked to me about not having basic necessities and always being hungry. She never let me forget how good we have it here and that I should always be thankful for what I have.

My mom’s favorite song was Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA”. She would play it on repeat on the record player while singing at the top of her lungs in a thick Filipino accent…”I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m pree!”…I can still hear her to this day! 

This, my friends, is why I love America so much…I was taught to love America by my mother. America is the only country in the world where you can come here, obtain your citizenship, and become an American. You can’t go to Germany and become a German; you can’t go to Japan and become Japanese, but you CAN come to America and become an American. My mother was proof of it and boy was she proud of it!