Silence engulfed the dining room, my head resting on the palm of my hand as I aimlessly twisted the spaghetti around my fork. My dad began to speak as everyone quieted down to listen. I heard a noise like the sound of a motorcycle engine as he cleared his throat. My eyes were focused on him as he began to speak about his early days in Palestine, neighboring the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan. I interrupted my father and said, “Dad, why did you leave Palestine?” He left Palestine because of the Israeli occupation, he answered. He left his country with tears in his eyes and headed for Saudi Arabia to study and lived there for a couple of years.
Shortly thereafter, my father booked a plane ticket to study in America. “Several million Palestinian refugees live in Jordan and Lebanon”, (Miller, 400). Some immigrated to America. I imagined what it would have been like coming to this country for the first time. It was a misty, gray day when his plane landed on the runway at New York’s airport. I later discovered that at the base of the Statue of Liberty there is a plaque with the Elhams family name. My father had mailed a $100 donation to the Statue of Liberty Fund to have the plaque made years after his arrival (Maestro), (Daniels). My father had mailed off a college application to the University of Berkley and was accepted. Unfortunately without sufficient money, he couldn’t attend Berkley and instead attended San Diego State University. College consumed all of his time.
One of my father’s major influences was his own grandfather. His grandfather, the mayor of the town where they lived was the law of the land. People looked up to him and sought his advice. An adventurous horseman, he was a self-made man who actually built his own house out of stone. One of my father’s dreams would have been to build his own home for his family. This could perhaps explain why I have always been interested in architecture.
He is particularly inspired by President Obama’s desire to extend the hand of friendship to Muslim nations. When I was eight years old, I traveled to Washington, D.C with my father to see the nation’s capitol. We visited many monuments and government buildings. I learned a lot about my country’s great history. The original Declaration of Independence is at the National Archives in Washington D.C. (Cheney, p.24).
I will make sure that the next generation will learn the importance of my cultural heritages, both Arabic and Hispanic. It is my responsibility to make sure that the next generation understands their identity. My father has been an inspiration that has made me want to triumph over adversity. He symbolizes a man who can make the American Dream a reality.
Works Cited
Cheney, Lynne. America: A Patriotic Primer. New York: Simon Schuster, 2002. Print.
Daniels, Roger. Coming to America, The History of Immigration and ethnicity in American Life. Print.
Maestro, Betsy. Coming to America, The Story of Immigration. Online. Web. 13 Sept. 2009.
Miller, Barbara. Book: Cultural Anthropology, George Washington University. Print.
Beautifully told- I am glad you blogged this... it was wonderful to stumble upon. I wish you the best with your career.
ReplyDeleteIt was great to see how your Dad's hard work paid off. If you work as hard as he did you will do great things as well.
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