Alright, we lied. One last Obama post before we get all irreverent again.
Like a majority of voting Americans, today brought me a renewed sense of hope and pride in this country. This is a new and special feeling for me, as I was not born here, but immigrated when I was a small boy who had a predilection for parting my hair and wearing bow ties with shorts and suspenders. I can proudly say that by casting my vote for Obama, and seeing him win the election, I finalized the dream that my parents had by bringing my sister and I here.
At the time of our emigration, my parents were successful Filipino citizens, but the hope of something more for their children pushed them to sell all of their belongings to move to America. Over the years, it seemed as if I had personally squandered their hopes, following a path that they had not foreseen: a life in art, not business, a living brought about by creativity, not science or medicine. But celebrating the election of Obama with my mother last night, I saw the joy in her face in seeing the first African-American President, I finally realized that in being able to give me the freedom and the opportunity to do as I pleased, to pursue a career that could not be afforded in our motherland, I am still meeting their goals.
It was an emotional moment for me, my eyes welling up with tears. I realized that
this was America: the belief that in our lifetimes, we can witness our children gain opportunity that was not available in our youth. It is not about red or blue or a free market versus a big government, it is about the continuous improvement of the quality of life of a family through generations. And given
my our rediscovered hope and optimism, I can say honestly, for the first time, that I am proud to be not just and an American, but a son of immigrants chasing The Dream, and hope to do for my children what my parents did for me.
Thanks everyone. Let's work to make the next four or eight years the best we've seen so far.
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