We are the “melting pot.” This makes us unique among nations. We open our doors to legal immigrants from any corner of the world.

Immigrant bring with them the culture and traditions familiar to the country of their birth, including their religious beliefs, their languages, their unique culinary arts, their unique apparel and their views of world politics. This makes our communities inter-cultural. Newcomers are free to live true to their beliefs and practice their traditions as long as these practices cause no harm to others.

Over the centuries, it is the mingling of these cultures that has made us uniquely American. We acknowledge and accept our differences, and at the same time, can find ourselves enjoying them.

Becoming American is assimilating into the American culture. Participating in the “melting pot” means embracing a common love of freedom, embracing our rule of law, embracing a common language and embracing values we hold dear: love of family, love of country, and for the majority, love of God.

Just as we accept new immigrants with their traditions, they, in turn, must accept the traditions of those who live here and came before them. To welcome the newcomer is one thing; to accommodate their desire for us to change is another.

After two and a half centuries, this American experiment continues to be a work in progress, and each and every one of us is a participant.

Pamela Brant
Westbrook

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