Why the Declaration of Independence means so much to immigrants like myself

My brief thoughts as an immigrant living in the US.

I grew up on three continents; in 3 out of 4 countries I spent my childhood, I witnessed human tragedy at the hands of the powerful. A military coup in Chile with brutal mass repressions, a civil war in Mozambique with decades of violence, and the fall of the USSR, with suffering both before and after the historical event happened. The invasion of Ukraine is a more recent example.

Photo by Arthur Chauvineau on Unsplash

I legally immigrated to the US in 2004, and I am a US citizen. From a professional standpoint, moving to the US was a disadvantage as I was already quite accomplished, and it meant being a small fish in a very large pond where no one knew or cared who I was. For me, it is still by far the most exciting and inspirational place on earth, and I’ve traveled to over 40 countries so far. Here’s why:

The cultural DNA of a free people permeates the collective spirit of this nation. A place that miraculously gave birth to these words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

These words shaped an aspirational worldview of a free people endowed with intrinsic value by a Creator, where the government is there to serve and not to be served. America has fallen tragically short of this aspirational ideal, and yet the aspiration persists, and the spirit of freedom is harder to extinguish than in most other places.

I am an American optimist. A grateful immigrant. My greatest concern is that this country will decline and fall at the hands of ungrateful Americans, who tear down rather than improve and perfect what they have.

Happy Independence Day.