I’m an American-born Mexicano.
My parents came from Mexico and later became legal. My mom eventually became a U.S. citizen too.
Am I proud to be American? Yeah. Even in today’s messy times, I’m proud to be American—and I’m proud of my Mexican ancestry too.
My patriotism is to the United States because this is where I live. But I don’t look at politicians to make me proud. Most of the time, they don’t.
What does make me proud is the people who’ve carried the weight—especially U.S. soldiers across history. When the country needed protection, they were there. And even when politicians used soldiers for dirty business—like Vietnam—those soldiers still went, came back, and got treated like trash. Then after September 11th, the country called on them again, and this time citizens supported them.
To me, being patriotic doesn’t mean pretending we’re perfect. It means understanding this country is like a family: we argue, we disagree, we get disappointed—but it’s still home.
America is a melting pot. Different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities—people who look nothing alike.
And the point is simple: it’s not just where you came from. It’s where you stand now. You can be born here, or you can come here and earn it—do the paperwork, raise your hand, stand in front of the flag, and become a citizen.
You earn the right to be called American.
Question: What does patriotism mean to you—loyalty, criticism, gratitude, service… or something else?
Subscribe: If this hit, subscribe — I post Tue/Thu/Sun + daily prompts, and Street Cinema every Saturday around 5 PM.
Leave a Reply