The Moment I Knew I was an American

The moment that I first realized I was an American was around the ages 3 or 4.  I learned in preschool about different countries and learned that I was American.  This was a general realization that I was an American.  I think the first time that I realized that I was an American, and that was something important or special, was about 5th or 6th grade when we were learning about illegal immigrants crossing the border in large numbers from Mexico and several other Central American countries.  I realized that if you weren't American and came into this country without legal documents, or the legal way to get here, that it was a federal offense, and you would be deported without a second thought.  I also realized that in America, could could be anything you wanted or aspired to be, and in many other countries you might not have those freedoms, and that being American was something even more special.  Also many people form other countries want to be American, and emigrate here legally, but in a way that is hard to explain they are not really American but technically they are, but they were born in a different country.  I realize that being American is something that I am proud of, and other Americans should be proud of too, and I am lucky to be an American, because many people around the world don't have the same rights and freedoms that I, and everybody else in America has.