Six years ago, my dad told me to pack my stuff and that we were moving out of Bangladesh…again. I was visibly agitated and quite livid since we had already moved some two to three times. So I didn’t have my hopes up when we got to the United States because a big part of me knew this was temporary. There was no use in making close personal relationships when I knew they would just be short lived.
I had spent 13 years in one country so I had become accustomed to a certain low-key lifestyle and I was at first scared for what was to come. Having heard stories from my cousins who were born and raised in the U.S. a part of me was excited at the prospect, but understandably, a part of me was scared. I am an outsider from a third-world country, I expected to be looked down upon, belittled, possibly bullied, based on my upbringing, race and religion.
When I came to Nanuet, however, it was instantly that I knew this place was different. You want to talk about a place that is accepting these people took me in. Only God knows why, though, because to be frank, I was an annoying brat in my middle school days. But what was a rough start paved the way to friendships I hold dear to my heart.
But it wasn’t Nanuet that made me fall in love with this country, it was the overall people in this country. In a time when race and religion have, quite unfortunately, done a heck of job in dividing this country, I was embraced, welcomed and taken in with open arms. It was unbelievable, really was. Thinking back on it, that first day in Mr. Serra’s English class was honestly so surreal and a day I really won’t forget. And now, six years later, on April 1, 2016 I have taken my oath and become a citizen of this country.
So what is it like to have that label of “American” put on me? Well, it is interesting to say the least. When it comes to patriotism, Americans are in a category all of their own. And rightfully so! Everything in America happens bigger, flashier, and with a lot “pizzazz”! And in these short years, I somehow managed to immerse myself in America’s ways. Sure, I stand out at times with my love of soccer and pro wrestling — and you'll find few people who are more passionate about them than I am. But that’s the beauty of America — you can find someone everywhere who has the same interests as you do.
Let me tell you a short story to explain that statement.
When I got into Syracuse, there was this event called “Own The Dome,” where new students could socialize and get a head start on making new friends. I met a couple of people and one of them pulled a prank on me by pulling the chair from under me and it sent me crashing down. So when something equally embarrassing happened to said person during a game of football, which left him on the ground, I said the words “How the turntables?" And instantly everyone started correcting me by saying, “It’s 'how the tables turn,' you dummy." They were all confused and amused at my foolishness, but there was this one guy who was hysterically laughing because he got the “Office” reference. He came up to me and said, “That’s from 'The Office!'” and just like that, we spent the rest of the evening geeking out over our favorite TV show.
That’s the thing about this great country. You can be polar opposites in every category but it takes only one — just one — thing in common to realize that we’re not so different from each other. Everyone has their own interests but here in America, we pride ourselves in appreciating those differences.
Americans are the most arrogant people I know. But I’ll be damned if that’s not the best thing about them. It is this arrogance, this pride that puts Americans on the top of Earth’s food chain. Their arrogance pushes them to new heights, places no one has ever been before. Americans are the flag bearers, the standard that the rest of the world looks to. I stand before you now, and till the day I die an American, something I am incredibly proud of. So maybe one day they'll see my name in the history books for something I had done or maybe not. But I look to make my mark in this world, to make it a better place, and there is no better place in the world to do that than in 'Merica!
“Before I do anything, I ask myself, 'Would an idiot person do that. If the answer is yes, I do not do that thing.”
—Dwight Schrute, "The Office"
