Coming To America
[October 10th] -- Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to be among the tens of millions who began a new life in the United States, who traveled across the Atlantic on ships headed for New York, waiting in unbridled excitement for that first glimpse of "Lady Liberty?"
I am lucky to be able to say, "been there, done that."
My family was living in Beirut in 1959 when my parents decided to bring us to the United States. My father was born in Palestine and raised in the Middle East, my Mother was an American working overseas. Although both of my parents loved the region, both felt that our long term safety was better served in America.
We left Beirut and traveled to Athens on the Medina, a small ship that used to be part of the German navy during World War II. We stayed there for a few days before boarding a large ocean liner for our trip to New York, the "Queen Fredrika." I am the young boy in the picture [my brother Tim and my dad are also shown] so I don't remember a great deal about the trip. I do remember the gray and stormy October weather that buffeted the large ship. The weather turned calm a day out of New York, and we spent a great deal of time on the decks of the ship. We arrived in New York mid-morning. People started pointing at a tiny black dot as we grew closer to the city. Soon, the "dot" grew into the Statue of Liberty. Many of those on the deck pulled out small American flags and waved them as the drew near the dock.
It took a great deal of time to navigate through the harbor to the dock. Once there, many of the ship were herded down a ramp into a building while we went through customs. Once processed, New York City was ours. Because my mother was American, all of us were treated as returning citizens to the United States. I wish I had a great story to tell about Ellis Island, but it never became part of our "coming to America" story.
I love this country and all it stands for. I appreciate my roots and the values that I brought here from the Middle East, but I am grateful that my parents made this choice for me when I was young. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. I owe you.
