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[Congressional Record: June 18, 2003 (Senate)]
[Page S8118-S8119]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr18jn03-146]
WRITING CONTEST ON IMMIGRATION
Mr. KENNEDY. Madam President, each year fifth graders across the
United States compete in a writing contest on immigration sponsored by
the American Immigrant Law Foundation and the American Immigration
Layers Association. Thousands of students participated in this year's
competition, responding to the question, ``Why I'm Glad America is a
Nation of Immigrants.''
In 1958, President Kennedy, who was then completing his first term as
a Senator, published a book with the title, ``A Nation of Immigrants,''
and I had the privilege of serving as one of the judges for this year's
contest. It was impressive to see how the students responded. Their
essays illustrate the wealth of diverse cultures that immigrants share
with our Nation. The students' writings radiate with pride for our
diversity and our immigrant heritage. Many students told personal
stories of their families and friends and their immigration to the
United States.
The winner of this year's contest is Miranda Santucci of Pittsburgh.
In her essay, ``An American Patchwork Quilt,'' Miranda explores the
value of her friends' cultures and how their diversity has enhanced her
life. She compares the United States to a colorful patchwork quilt
where ``every fabric piece tells an immigrant's story about overcoming
hardship, seeking opportunities, and reaching for dreams,'' and where
``threads of different languages, customs, foods, cultures, religions
and skills hold these pieces together.'' Miranda's eloquent essay
reaches to the heart of what makes us all uniquely American.
Other students honored for their exceptional writing were Rachel
Adams of Houston, Melissa Cheng of Atlanta, Jessica Du of Alameda, and
Elias Reisman of Indianapolis. I congratulate these students on their
outstanding achievement, and I know my brother would be proud of them
too.
These award-winning essays will be of interest to all of us in the
Senate, and I ask unanimous consent that they be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, so ordered.
There being no objection, the essays were printed in the Record, as
follows:
[From the Winchester Thurston School, Pittsburgh, PA]
An American Patchwork Quilt
(By Miranda Santucci)
America reminds me of a beautiful patchwork quilt that
covers our nation with a diversity of immigrants. Each quilt
square is made up of different colors and textures with a
unique design and pattern. Every fabric piece tells an
immigrant's story about overcoming hardships, seeking
opportunities, and reaching for dreams. Threads of different
languages, customs, foods, cultures, religions, and skills
hold all these pieces together. I'm glad America is a nation
of immigrants because these individual patchwork pieces make
the whole American quilt more beautiful.
The quilt covers my home, school, neighborhood, and city.
It warms me when I celebrate the feast of fishes on Christmas
Eve like my father's Italian ancestors did, when I play with
my Greek friend Katarina Konstantinos after school, or when I
share the basket blessing tradition at Easter with my
neighbor, Peter Muszalski, in his church on Polish Hill. I
see many colors in the fabric at my school when I look around
at all the different skin tones. I feel how enormous the
quilt is when I go through the Strip District and read the
storefront signs like Sam-Bok, Stamboolis, Benkovitz, and
Sunseri.
I cherish each piece of our country's quilt. All the
immigrant patches are still unique, even though they are sewn
together as one. They make our country rich, full and strong.
America's patchwork quilt is a precious heirloom that should
be handled with pride, and handed down through the
generations of American history.
____
[From the Mayde Creek Elementary, Houston, TX]
America--My New Home
(By Rachel Adams)
America, America
[[Page S8119]]
lovely and bright,
so full of bluebonnets
and coyotes at night.
Free as a bird,
that soars in the sky,
oh, how I love the way
your flag waves far and wide.
Immigrant, immigrant,
traveling from afar,
warmly welcomed in America,
are those who are scarred.
That's what I am,
and I want to be free,
I want to have value,
and I want to be me.
I set out on a journey
and far will I roam
until I reach my new country,
a place I'll call home.
In this country of immigrants,
I want to have meaning
to have a life of peace
and freedom of being.
I travel to America
where opportunity awaits,
the land of the free
and the home of the brave.
____
[From the Montgomery Elementary School, Atlanta, GA]
Why I am Glad America is a Nation of Immigrants
(By Melissa Cheng)
The Dutch Butcher, the German Baker, The Chinese who created
paper, to this great land gathers great skill, and we
all contribute, so do I, and make America greater
still.
From some lands people flee,
To America the place of democracy,
For where they originated they had no freedom or rights for
they had a dictator who didn't treat them right.
I am glad I have hearts of hope, dreams of freedom to be and
practice who and what I want to be. For freedom there
is a price.
We all must stand together willing to fight.
We all must stand together and earn this right.
Without these cultures from near and far, today we wouldn't
be who we are.
Pasta from Italy, bread from Germany, and piniatas that come
from Mexico, are what makes America unique.
All these things put together strengthen our unity and create
one big community.
America the land of opportunity is a place where everybody
has an equal chance including me!!!
That is why I am glad America is a nation of immigrants.
____
[From the Amelia Earhart School, Alameda, CA]
I am Glad America is a Nation of Immigrants
(By Jessica Du)
America is a nation of immigrants
As you can plainly see
Someone in your history
Made a change in your family tree.
Everyone must have a time
When they moved from place to place
To live a better life
And challenge it face to face
People come to America
For freedom and for rights
To speak freely and be educated
And explore new heights
My parents are from Vietnam
Dad escaped by boat
If someone was lucky, they'd make it to shore
If not, in the ocean they'd have to float
My parents changed my whole life
If they hadn't moved here
I would be in a different country
Living in a land of fear
My classmates are from here and there
We are all different races
We speak many languages
And smile with different faces
America is a nation of immigrants
We don't care what race you are
The poor and rich should know
You're welcome from near or far.
____
[From the International School of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN]
Open to Differences
(By Elias Reisman)
My grandma was from Russia
Her dad had a different belief.
The army came and seized him
Which caused her family grief.
She made it to the United States,
Fell in love with a Russian man,
War was looming, he signed up.
``Let's marry while we can.''
They had three kids
All three were raised as Jews.
My dad met mom, a Christian girl
And they had two little new.
Our self portrait is not crystal clear.
When asked, what do we tell?
There is no single label
That tells our story well.
We go to an international school
There are kids of every kind.
Every race and faith and country
Makes it even a better time.
When we seek out those who differ,
Respect all points of view,
We are happier, wiser, stronger,
And our country's safer too.
We do not care
Whether yellow, black, or white,
Immigrant or native--
IT IS ALL RIGHT!
____________________
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