Ellis Island
In the past I always tried to end the week with a reminder of something pleasant to kick off the weekend. Lately, there has been a whole lot of hubbub about immigration with an executive and cabinet that seems to hate anyone who didn’t get their tan from the sun instead of their parents. With all the yammering about politics, it is sometimes easy to forget what a truly great country we live in. One that has welcomed virtually everyone from everywhere and said, “Come on in, you’ll like it here”.
Everyone in this space we call the United States literally came from elsewhere and that includes the indigenous who met the first European boats. Some of those indigenous graciously welcomed the first of my Scots in the late 1600s. Then that group met some wandering Germans in the early 1800s and they included a smattering from way back in Syria. Then that whole group met another late arriving group of Scots from the 1920s. Even Stephen Miller would approve of my bleached genealogy. He wouldn’t approve of the fact that I was really, really disappointed that the DNA was so darn boring. I wanted some technicolor to liven up the mix.
Even those who originally came unwillingly have brought us some of our greatest authors, poets, and musicians while singing the blues so no one could forget the beginning. Here is one of Langston Hughes greatest poems to remind us.
As aways, I can’t get too far away from the music, and Brad Paisley has a song to remind us of what Americans, more than just about anywhere else on earth, gets absolutely right when we are at our best.
She’s got Brazilian leather boots on the pedal of her German car
Listen to the Beatles singing back in the USSR
Yeah she’s goin around the world tonight
But she ain’t leavin here
She’s just going to meet her boyfriend down at the street fair
It’s a french kiss, italian ice
Spanish moss in the moonlight
Just another American Saturday night
There’s a big toga party tonight down at Delta Chi
They’ve got Canadian bacon on their pizza pie
They’ve got a cooler full of cold Coronas and Amstel light
It’s like were all livin’ in a big ol’ cup
Just fire up the blender, mix it all up
It’s a French kiss, Italian ice
Margaritas in the moonlight (woahhhh)
Just another American Saturday night
You know everywhere has something they’re known for
Although usually it washes up on our shores
My great great great granddaddy stepped off of that ship
I bet he never ever dreamed we’d have all this
You know everywhere has somethin’ they’re known for
Although usually it washes up on our shores
Little Italy, Chinatown, sittin’ there side by side
Live from New York, It’s Saturday Night!
It’s a French kiss, Italian ice,
Spanish moss in the moonlight
Just another American, just another American,
it’s just another American Saturday night
