A while back, I was talking with a friend who'd moved to the US a few years prior At some point, I said something like "... we Americans..." and he froze with shock. He asked, "Wait, do you think of me as American?" Without much thought, I said "Of course!" He paused for a while and then said, "Wow. Back home no one would ever refer to a recent immigrant that way. Heck, they wouldn't refer to any immigrant that way, even if they'd lived there for decades" While the US has a lot of problems (many of which are our own making), this moment made me swell with joy and pride for this special place Happy birthday, America. I'm so proud to be the citizen of a country where, if you choose to build your life here and contribute to your community, you can become an American too 🇺🇸