To understand how I felt today, you must first flash back to when I was in high school. I moved to a new school where half the student body was Hispanic. They called themselves Chicanos, but basically it was a name of their movement called 'Viva la Raza". I do remember that they would sit on the opposite sides of the gym for assemblies. They would not stand for the flag or pledge allegiance to it. They had an active Chicano club and often had signs saying, 'Viva la raza'. And...their school sponsor (I would soon find out) was my new Spanish teacher.

I transferred to all the same classes from my previous high school (one being Spanish II) and found this class to be very different from the other school--this one being mostly memorization and singing. Additionally, I was the only Anglo in my new Spanish class.  And...it soon became apparent that I was the only one who did any work at all in the class, yet was the only one who got less than an A on my report card. I received a B+...and somehow that managed to give me a B+ average for the year (when half of my previous grades were A's)??? Since I had entered with a semester average of an A from my previous school, I went to the teacher and asked why an A and a B+ became a B+ yearly average instead of an A-. I asked her why the other students did no work and received A's, but I did ALL the work and she never gave me an A as a report card grade. She replied that the others already spoke Spanish so they didn't have to do any work. "But I have done everything you have asked me to do and received A's, memorized everything you have asked me to memorize and received A's, got A's on all of my written tests (when they have not). That averages out to an A and you gave me a B+". Her reply was that I was not Latino, so I did not have the natural accent they all had. (Well, I could read between the lines. Translated that meant, "You're not one of us, so I will discriminate against you.") Needless to say, I did not take Spanish the following year.

Now I have since met and worked with many other (less organized) Hispanic people from many countries and cultures that are very nice, but still sensitive as to how they are treated in this country. For that reason, I was a bit worried about our overzealous patriotic singing in church. I wondered how those who were not 'white' would think of our celebration of our country and its founders in church. Would it offend them?

But...after singing in our congregation, I went to visit another inner city congregation. I entered while their meager choir (complete with their entire Bishopric, including African American and Hispanics) was singing America the Beautiful. They sang verses one and two in parts, then a narrator read the words to the 3rd verse while the music played in the background, and then the congregation joined in singing the 4th verse. The spirit was so strong during the singing, that the Bishop motioned for us all to repeat the first verse. After that verse, the pianist moved to the organ and everyone stood and sang The Star Spangled Banner at the top of their lungs. I looked around the room. At least half of the congregation was not white. There were African Americans and Hispanics in abundance and they all seemed very emotional. (It was hard not to be after such a rendition). But, I was still wondering how they felt singing allegiance to and honoring our country.

Immediately after the singing, the time was turned over for congregational testimonies. One Hispanic lady took the stand. "I have been called many names. I have been called Mexican, but I am not Mexican. I have been called Mexican American, but I am not Mexican American". (Then tearfully) she said, "I AM an AMERICAN of Mexican decent." She then told of knowing her Mexican Indian heritage and knowing her other heritage was from Spain. She had visited Spain (thinking it would be a pure race) but found it to be a mix of many races. She then (very emotionally charged) said again, "I AM AN AMERICAN. It does not matter what ethnicity or culture I came from, what matters is that I am in a country that allows me to worship as I please. It matters that this country allowed my religion to be restored, and wherever one can be led to find that religion is what matters. I pledge allegiance to a country where those freedoms are found."

There was not just this one lady who felt this way; there were many Hispanics in the congregation, who ALL echoed the same sentiment. In halting English, one by one they thanked their God for allowing them to come to a free country, where they were better off than they had ever been, and had been allowed to worship as they please. I was truly humbled. They did not hold back their love of our (and their) country for fear of offending others. In a sense, they are the founding fathers for their own individual families. If these sweet, humble people are the future of their race in America, then Viva la Raza. What unabashed love they offer for a country they call their own. I was moved to tears.

Happy birthday, Lomal!