Bucks Writs - Fall 2017 - 5

The "poetry" of the American Story is made up of the
new dynamic of the contributions of all to our society
- businesspeople, artists, inventors, writers, musicians.
What it means to be an "American" is also changing - a
fascinating tapestry that changes its hue and weave, but
always remains the envy of the rest of the world, despite
our own admitted shortcomings.

at sixteen months, coming to this country to new parents,
to new opportunities. One would never say that I was
"more American" than she, merely due to generational
longevity or because of the homeland of my ancestors. Her
love and devotion to this country and its ideals are no less
fervent or genuine than mine. And her contributions to her
community and family further reflect this.

We are that envy because of the contributions of citizens
- old and new. Emma Lazarus' sonnet "The New

III. Conclusion
So, what will be your contribution to this American Story?
While it may not seem significant - don't ever underestimate how you, your children, will become part of this
wonderful story. Who knew that Steve Chen, originally
from Taiwan, and Jawed Karim, from Germany, would
create YouTube after arriving in the U.S.? Or that Israel
Baline, from Russia, would become Irving Berlin, who wrote
the classic "God Bless America"?

So, what will be your contribution
to this American Story? While it
may not seem significant - don't
ever underestimate how you, your
children, will become part of this
wonderful story.

One doesn't need to be a famous inventor or entertainer
to contribute to this American Story. The American Story
is one of promise and, eventually, acceptance, encouragement, and opportunity. It is perhaps best expressed by
former President Ronald Reagan:

Colossus" is engraved in part on the Statue of Liberty,
stating: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled
masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse
of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, the
tempest-tost, to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden
door." That phrase is still noteworthy and relevant.

"I received a letter just before I left office from a man. I
don't know why he chose to write it, but I'm glad he did.
He wrote that you can go to live in France, but you can't
become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or
Italy, but you can't become a German, an Italian. He went
through Turkey, Greece, Japan, and other countries. But,
he said anyone, from any corner of the world, can come to
live in the United States and become an American."

While many of us don't claim ancestor entry through Ellis
Island, nearly all of us descended from immigrants, unless
Native American. All contribute to this story. In my personal
case, a rather typical narrative: arriving in America before
1700, my family settled first in the South, some here in
Pennsylvania, then moved to Indiana, tilling the soil as
farmers, my grandfather being the first to go to college. It
is the familiar "salt of the earth" story - one which is not
remarkable, but which traces at various points the common
heritage of many. My wife, my best friend, presents a
different narrative: born in Torino, Italy, she was adopted

Welcome to our story. It is now your story. Write your
chapter. We look forward to reading and sharing it.
Thank you. 
5

FALL 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Bucks Writs - Fall 2017