Niner
Long time Websleuther
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2003
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My mother in law, an immigrant from Italy, came to America with her 18 month old American son in 1953. She had to study to become an American and was very proud of becoming a citizen of a greatest county in the world.
She died in 2010 and I took care of her the last year and she would talk (every day IS a new day with Alzhiemers) about Italy, and how she had only known war all her life before coming to America.
She talked of food shortages and hunger and how the Americans saved many from starving. She showed me pictures of bombed out buildings and how the German soldiers would kill ten Italians if one of their soldiers were killed.
She told me to never forget that freedom comes with a price.
I came over in 1952 when I was 4 years old; was born in Sweden, BUT since my parents were NOT Swedish citizens, I was not automatically a Swede. I was a D.P. - Displaced Person! LOL! My parents are/were both Latvian citizens - escaped during the war to Sweden on a small fishing boat... long story! But anyway - they brought us to America, and my parents became citizens, and all I had to do to get my American citizenship was raise my right hand and say "I do!" before I turned 16. Which of course I did!
Ah - but my younger brother was born 1953 in Santa Rosa, California - automatic American Citizen!
Sorry OT!!