On Being a Foreigner

I wear flip-flops and shorts, I like to exercise and wear workout clothes in public, I wear tennis shoes pretty much everywhere, and once in awhile, I sport my North Face hoodie. I hate cigarettes and I love peanut butter. And sometimes I eat on public transportation. So what? I'm American....

In my experience, when you're a foreigner, it's obvious to the locals no matter where you are. I've come to the conclusion that there's no point in trying to fit in because the locals can tell with one glance that you don't belong.

When you're a foreigner, you get used to being stared at and sometimes wonder if you've got something on your face you failed to notice before you left the house. But that's not it...it's just that you're speaking a different language, you look physically different or the way you dress makes you stick out.

Instead of trying to hide my foreignness, I embrace it. I am proud to be different. My landlady once told me that I didn't look American and I just laughed to myself because I'm really not sure what an American is supposed to look like. My Madrid friends and I sometimes talk about how we are a great representation of the States because physically, none of us look alike, but our shared culture and language bring us together.

Like it or not, the States is a nation of immigrants (with the exception of Natives, of course). Some of us have been there longer than others, some of us were brought there against our will, but when it comes down to it, the majority of us came from somewhere else.

That's one reason America is a nation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and hard working people. When you're taken out of your comfort zone, forced to learn a new language, and start from scratch, most people adapt to their situation and make the best of it. As such, the States, in theory, is a place where you will/should not be judged by your sexual orientation, religion, gender, or the color of your skin, but by the knowledge you bring to the table and how hard you're willing to work to make your dreams come true.

The new immigration law in Arizona, the Tea Party Movement, the never-ending fight over abortion, and the struggle to legalize same-sex marriage all threaten what America (and being American) means to me. The ideologies of the narrow-minded groups that support limiting another person's right to be who they are diametrically oppose the founding principles of our country. Often, the least interesting thing about a person is what they look like, if they are attracted to men or women, and which God they believe in.

Now, more than ever, I think it's important to take a minute to remember where you come from. I, for one, have Scottish, Sicilian, English, German, Swedish, Norwegian and French family members to thank for my current station in life. Without the hard work of those who came before me, I wouldn't be a college-educated, independent young woman who has the right to vote, play sports, make my own health decisions, and practice whatever religion I choose. I see no reason others should not be given a chance to have the same opportunities I did if they are willing to work as hard as those who immigrated to the States in my family did. When it comes down to it, most people wouldn't immigrate if they weren't completely sure they could give their children the same opportunities in their own country. Americans should be proud that so many people want to immigrate to the States and help those who want (and deserve) to stay become citizens. Immigrating is not for the faint of heart and immigrants deserve a lot of respect for leaving everything they hold dear behind. It's not easy.