Patriotism: An Immigrant's Perspective of Loving America

Stories told by immigrants in America are always interesting to read about. Mary S.Y.’s story is no different. The author writes about her Assyrian heritage, her culture, coming to America, the opportunities in the U.S., the stereotyping present and how she relates to everyone. I loved that as much as she is proud of her Assyrian origin, she still states that she is first an American before anything else.

The author’s story is beautiful. She tells of her migration, and her people’s culture in the most impressive manner, that one wishes she could write more. I particularly loved how she talked of her peoples’ history and her heritage. Religion is obviously crucial in her history, as she talks of Judaism and Christianity and how her people valued spirituality. She stressed the importance of preserving history and social identity. The writer talks about the violence and genocide the Assyrian people have faced in the past and especially in Muslim countries. How their Christian leaders are abducted and get killed when they fail to raise the ransom.

The author’s use of a little humor when talking about real-life  experience makes the reading wonderful. Life as an immigrant is different from native Americans. As a non-native, one often gets the question of where they come from, and the response they give is met by different reactions. She enjoys her stay in America nevertheless, despite the few challenges faced.

There is also the political aspect of things. Since her relocating to America, the author has seen how different regimes deal with immigrants. She talked about presidents, the decisions they make and how it affects the masses. I echo some of her sentiments regarding the presidency. 

Mary S.Y’s story is inspiring. Through her, we learn how important culture is, and how man should not forget his roots. Even with the civilization, the author notes about the past, and how some things were better back then, compared to the present day.

“Patriotism: An Immigrant’s Perspective of Loving America” is not only motivating but also a great read for personal awareness. History is important and each one of us should appreciate our history. The author talks about the love of one’s country and how everyone should strive to be better.

I would recommend this book to everyone who needs to read about Assyrian culture, the Babylonians and the Mesopotamians and how they lived back in the day. Patriotism is important and the author demonstrates why we should respect the presidency and the state. She insisted that despite everyone’s differences, Americans should love each other and treat everyone equally. Religion, race, sexuality, and gender should not bring division among people. This book is interesting in so many ways. Reading about Mary was a pleasure and an amazing experience. The writer did a good job of telling her story and teaching about our roles as citizens and how we can make life better for our neighbors.