The Day I Became an American

Leaving my country and coming to America was not easy. As much as I was thrilled to finally see New York City, I felt like a traitor leaving behind Poland, the country of my birth. Just before I left, The Solidarity Union managed to overthrow the communist regime and Poland was in the difficult stage of transition into democracy. Despite economic difficulties, Poles were overjoyed with their freedom. Nobody complained about empty shelves in stores, because we all knew that eventually the economy would improve.
Now was the time to show one’s patriotism by enduring the difficulties and helping to restore free Poland. It was definitely not the time to leave. My parents, however, decided otherwise when they received long awaited green cards from American Embassy in Warsaw. W...