25 Years in America: A Tribute to My Lithuanian Parents
January 9, 2011 5 Comments
On January 9th, 1986, my parents came to the United States from Lithuania by way of Italy. Having left the former USSR in late 1985, they chose Italy as their last European stop in their quest for freedom.
Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was very difficult for people to escape from behind the Iron Curtain. Doing so entailed many risks–even jeopardizing one’s life. Nevertheless, my parents bought their way to freedom and eventually came to California. Shortly afterward, they got their citizenship (legally) and assimilated to the American way of life.
As a first-generation Lithuanian-American, I’m especially thankful for the freedoms afforded to me. If I were born in Lithuania, I wouldn’t have the same opportunities granted to me here in the United States. My sister Anna Maria and I are pictured above at the Lithuania exhibit in Balboa Park, San Diego.
My heritage is what fuels my conservative views. My parents taught me to value freedom, capitalism, limited government, traditional values, and American ideals. I am indebted to them for raising me RIGHT!
People should look to immigrants from formerly and currently oppressed countries for guidance. My parents faced many limitations in Lithuania, which were greatly attributed to communist rule and control in Lithuania. Hearing them talk about their experiences shaped my worldview; it could shape yours too.
It is immigrants like my parents who make this country great. Never underestimate the wisdom and experiences they bring with them from their former homelands.
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