Faces of America

After watching Faces of America, I learned that EVERYONE has some ancestor that they can trace back to that came to America searching for new opportunities.  The people featured in the documentary clearly have become successful, but they would never have had the chance to be that successful if it wasn't for their ancestors taking a giant risk of starting a new life in America.  Because of the chance that their family members made, some not too long ago, shaped how their lives are today, full of opportunity and achievement.

To be a "nation of immigrants" means that no one in America is actually a true American.  At some point, their family had to be an immigrant from a different country.  America is one giant melting point where everyone is different and has a different background.  The people that chose to leave their home and start a new life here must have had to been brave, but they knew to look to the future and realize that this transition could help their family in the long run by giving them more opportunities.  The people that came would have had to have passion and drive to make a better life, meaning they would have been hard workers.  This really helped America grow and develop.  I feel very thankful that my ancestors took the chance to give their decedents, like myself, a better life.  I know it must have been a hard choice, but it clearly paid off in the end.

Immigrants coming through Ellis Island