Hey, We're American Too | by Peter Kang

Living in the US for almost nine years, I passed  my eighth Fourth of July celebration with my family, resting cozily at home watching TV most of the day. However, like most families around the country, our family rose to the occasion with my parents taking a rare day off from work and also with our annual Fourth of July appetite, requiring lots of meat. Whether our meal has been barbecue, kitchen cooked, or restaurant served, the Fourth of July, the day when this nation was born, has become an obvious holiday in our Korean family. Years of living here in The States has made it possible for our culture of the east to assimilate with that of America and coexist without any problems. I see no shame or abandonment in my native culture when I wave an American flag, because America is my home and I enjoy every privilege this nation has to offer, giving me the idea that I'm just as American as any Caucasian or European descendants living here. It's true that Asians weren't part of the United States in its infant age, but years later, they were able to come here because of what happened on July 4th, 1776, the day when this land became a place of opportunity and an escape from persecution. Therefore, instead of being ignorant and bitter that Asians and other minorities were not present when this nation declared its independence, we should all celebrate because it was this day which allowed us to become the Americans we are today. The everlasting debate about preserving one's own ethnic culture and native heritage has gone so far as to label everyone with their origin (for myself, I would be Korean-American). I see that there is a point to this because then we can be aware of our background, but is it really fair to be so specific on minorities but then go right ahead and call anyone white "American?" It may seem insignificant now, but as Asian descendants become a deeper part of American history as time passes, the lines separating the minorities and majority whites should start to blur, making it almost necessary to call everyone by their specific origin or refer to them as Americans overall. As of now, I'm fine when someone calls me Korean, Korean-American, or Asian, but one day, when everyone can get it in their heads that I live in America and I am as American as anyone else, calling me an American would also be nice. Comments, Questions, Concerns? Contact the author