Happy 4th of July!

HN Notes: As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, it’s worth reflecting on how the United States has given families like mine opportunities that simply do not exist in most other countries. My mother immigrated here to serve as a registered nurse in Boston. She rose to become a head nurse at Cape Cod Hospital and was elected president of the Catholic Nurses Association. She earned her U.S. citizenship when I was a young boy. She excelled here because she loved this country — she made the effort to learn its history, embrace its laws and customs, and came here to serve and contribute. This September she turns 95 and still works hard every day. My father’s family immigrated from Quebec to work in the factories of southeastern Massachusetts. Though they initially spoke French at home, they adopted English to fully assimilate. My father worked alongside his own father in the factory while studying during his breaks. He became a commissioned Navy officer, the first in his family to graduate from college. He went on to serve as a high school mathematics teacher and, during the summer months, as a local boat captain. My daughter was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, while I was working there. Where she was granted US citizenship through our consulate in Guadalajara. Spanish was her first language. After my assignment in Bangkok, Thailand, she moved here and adopted our ways. In our public schools she excelled in English and mathematics, at one point ranking as a top student in the Town of Barnstable. She graduated in the top five of her class and received multiple full scholarship offers from the nation’s leading universities, including several from Canada. She became the first in our family to attend Ivy League schools, where she studied and conducted important medical research at Cornell, Columbia, and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Isle Mariel Bastille came here to excel and to serve. For my family, this 4th of July is a time to feel deep gratitude for what the United States has made possible. Despite its imperfections, America remains the greatest country on Earth — and I cannot imagine what the world would be like without it. Keep working hard, be strong, and, by all means, stay safe out there! God bless the United States of America!