By David Cruz
Correspondent
They came from 17 countries, on a steamy Independence Day morning, greeted by mayors and a United States senator, waving flags and taking a pledge to protect and defend their new homeland. In all, 21 new Americans celebrated the big day, representing a fresh new start for them and their families.
Maria Eskandar, a mother of two young girls, escaped the upheaval in Egypt four years ago.
“I love it here because my children will get a good education, have good health,” she said. “A lot of things are good here, for my family. I feel lucky.”
It can be easy — in difficult times, especially — to find reasons why our more perfect union isn’t always perfect. And immigrants have been the subject of distrust and outright scorn, fodder in the political rhetoric that scapegoats newcomers and lumps the good with the bad.
“Certainly the political rhetoric today has created a new, unfortunate perspective on immigrants and we do our little part here in Jersey City to try and correct that,” said Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop. “You have the families here of these people who couldn’t be more excited to take the oath as a U.S. citizen today, which I think anybody who lives in this country should feel great about.”
Sen. Cory Booker gave an emotional speech, lamenting intolerance and celebrating love as a constitutional right.
“We are a country that has become great over the years because of the influx of immigrants and to turn our backs on the truth of who we are is only to weaken us,” he said. “When we face challenges from the outside, it shouldn’t make us flee from the truth, it should make us double down and embrace who we are as a nation.”
Jose Torres Sandoval’s daughter did a happy Independence Day dance to celebrate dad’s big day. Jose says this day is step one in the long road to reunite with his family from El Savador, where violence and corruption have trapped a generation.
“I want to do this for them; I want to help them,” he said. “I’ve got my father there, so I can help them to come here, so it’s very happy for me.”
Christina Correa and her family celebrated the big day with flags and red, white and blue streamers. “I’m expecting great things,” she said. “I want to thank God and I feel happy to be here. I look forward to voting for my candidate. I won’t say who, but she’s female.”
We can sometimes take our independence for granted, but, on this holiday in particular, it’s important to note that there are many around the world who, on any given day, would do just about anything to get here, to celebrate, on our most patriotic holiday, this unlikely experiment that is democracy and freedom.