September 10, 2012

September 10, 2012

To my future child,

You are going to be born into a family of different cultures.  You will grow up speaking both Spanish and English and celebrate both your Mexican Heritage and your American Heritage.  You my sweet child represent one of the new norms of our society with bicultural children. 

I want you to be proud of your culture.  When the national anthem is played, I want you to stand up and place your hand over your heart, looking at our beautiful flag and show the respect for our country not also for the men and women that have served to protect it (or who are currently serving). 

I also want you to be proud to be Mexican.  I want you to learn the real meaning of the feast of epiphany Dia de lo Santos Reyes, Cinco de Mayo (it’s not just a day to drink), Dia de San Pedro, and the importance of September 16^th in Mexico.

America is a great country, however we are not perfect.  You need to respect, appreciate and protect the good parts while fighting to change the parts that we haven’t gotten right yet. 

As an American, you should know who John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Madeline Albright, Martin L. King Jr., William Clinton, Abraham Lincoln, and President Obama so you will know how to speak and understand how to unite and inspire individuals.

As a Mexican, you should know who Octavio Paz, Antonio de Mendoza, Jeronimo de Aguilar, Vincente Guerrero, Javier Mina, Carlos Salinas de Gortari. 

Because these women were so important to history and everything that your momma has accomplished in life, know who Susan B. Anthony, Rachel Carson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Cady Stanton, Grace Hopper, Sally Ride, Sandra Day O’Connor, Margaret Thatcher, Clara Barton, Harriet Tubman, Ella Fitzgerald, Elena Kagan, Hillary Clinton, Clara Barton, Helen Keller, Maya Lin, Mother Theresa, and Rosa Parks are.

You need to know who Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, Kim Jong-il, Muammar Gaddafi and why they should never be forgotten and why their acts should not be repeated. 

You also need to know who Tim McVeigh, Eric Rudolph, David Duke, Randy Weaver and know that terrorism does not need to happen far away on foreign soils but can happen right outside your doors and forever change your world.

You need to remember the following dates:
      4/19/1995 Oklahoma City bombing
      4/20/1999 Columbine shooting
      9/11/2001 September 11th terror attacks
      4/16/2007 Virginia Tech shootings

Remember that history happens everyday.  It’s not just something that you read about in books at school.  You are a lucky kid because your grandparents live next door to one of the most powerful places in the world which is full of some of the best history in the United States.  You’ll be lucky enough to travel and see the sights that your classmates might only get to see in their textbooks.  As lucky as you are, take those experiences and teach them and tell the stories behind them and never forget what happened so that the acts of individuals like Hitler and Gaddafi won’t be repeated in your generation.

Until next time....

See you in my dream....

Love your momma, Jennifer