Everyday I hear and read disturbing things about America and opinions of where we are heading and it bothers me greatly. So I thought and asked myself why I am proud to be an American. In order to put things into perspective, I have to understand who I am and where I came from and this will define my views and why I feel this way.

I am from Hispanic descendants, my grandfather was Spaniard as was my grandmother and they immigrated to Cuba when they were young. During World War II, they decided to leave Cuba and moved to America. My mother was already born and came to the states very young as well. Finally in the mid fifties, I was born. My grandparents struggled in a socialistic country and had the vision to come here for the betterment of my mother. Almost immediately he was able to make a good living, (not knowing the language very well) and eventually opened his own business and prospered. Shortly after I was born, Fidel Castro was coming into power and my grandparents believed the "changes" he was going to bring to Cuba, so they packed their bags and returned. My grandparents never returned and we never saw them again. My parents never believed the changes and decided to stay here and give me the best opportunity they could, pretty much in the same manner that my grandparents wanted for my mother.

They became very successful in the restaurant business and prospered and provided me with everything they never had. My grandparents lived in poverty, struggled all through their later years just trying to get food on the table. What made this so different. They were successful here almost immediately and failed miserably in Cuba. It was no longer the concept of being productive and successful for themselves and society, the mind set changed in Cuba and now all they were concerned about was for themselves-how would they survive? They did what they needed to do to obtain food, clothes,etc.The family that originally remained there became very close because they would pull whatever resources they had available and shared with the whole family for survival. Instinctively they looked at ways to cheat the government out of a loaf of bread or a half gallon of milk or a pound of rice for the month.All these things got rationed so all your mental and physical energies were focused on survival.

Compare that to America and you immediately see the difference without getting into to many details. Here is where I began to form my views and belief's. Here this man promised great change and equality and brainwashed so many people like my grandparents that had a good life here in the states already, yet 50 years later, where are they. When I speak to surviving relatives they are scared that America is going down this path and they are scared. Not that it will happen because America is America and the people is what makes it a great country, BUT, they don't want to be bitten by a similar bug twice. I hear the stories of how the Cuban Government initially started to require registration of guns, and shortly after they came a knocking at your door to take them away. They socialized health-care and yet there are no medications to be handed out. Families would get them here in the states and prepared packages to be sent to Cuba through extraordinary means to provide some relief. I would be asked if I could please send them ibuprofen for severe arthritic pains or any other ailment. This was there first priority. Aspirin was scarce as was antibiotics and other medications. Where was the change Fidel Castro promised. Well, he did promise change but everyone expected change for the better. I guess they got what they asked for.

Free education was provided and in this area, at least initially it was good. Some excellent doctors were developed, but how do they contribute if they lacked the tools and medications and diagnostic machines to exploit their full potentials? They force assembly to hear speeches from Castro, unable to express your views in public unless it was favorable to the regime, dissidents were jailed and murdered. Neighbor turned against neighbor in order to raise favor with the local government in hopes of getting something, whatever it was. The country use to be a paradise where Americans would travel on weekends to the clear sandy beaches and clubs that developed huge revenues and all that was destroyed. Capitalism to socialism to communism and now to ?

So who I am is defined by my heritage and life experiences and a little common sense. I am proud of my Hispanic heritage and the sacrifices my parents and grandparent made-their initial choices made me an American. I am not a Hispanic American, I am American and yet that doesn't diminish my heritage and how proud I am to be of hispanic decendents. My grandparents smelled trouble when they left Cuba to come to the states, years before it turned. My parents recognized trouble and didn't believe there were greener pastures across the street. My grandparents got snookered by a scholared and articulate talker that said the right things and that choice they regretted for the rest of their lives.

There are no greener pastures for me than the USA and I will not make that same mistake. They were unable to fight for their country, but we Americans still have the right to voice our views and opinions openly and cause an effect that is everlasting. I do have this luxury and I use it. Thanks to my grandparents and parents for the unselfish sacrifice you made so that I could be born an American and have freedom for me, my kids and grandkids. You lost the individual battles but you finally won the war. I am an American.