My grandmother's parents insisted on speaking english in the home after immigrating from Costa Rica. We're all Americans of hispanic descent, but we're Americans. We don't need or ask folks to speak spanish to make us feel more welcome.
A difficulty caused my great grandparents to have to stop over in Cuba for seven years while my great grandfather made shoes to earn enough money to complete the voyage. My aunt America was born during this time. She just turned 99.
Their generation of immigrants did not pretend that America would be free or easy, nor did they aspire to maintain allegiance to the nations or cultures that had failed them. They became unhyphenated Americans. They adapted to their new country. They did not expect their new country to adapt to them.
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