Originally published on Her Campus at Old Westbury
New York is my home, Lady Liberty my mother.
We are the embodiment of this place.
My grandmother spoke Italian, I can’t speak a bit
But I understand at least a little of Spanish.
My skin is white, it’s made up of many
From Natives to Ukrainians, from Irish to Italians.
My lover is Latino, Dominican and Ecuador
Being raised by a first-generation Sicilian-American with none of his blood.
My friends are those who make up the rainbow of skin color
Those in Hijabs also wearing bracelets for PRIDE
Those in lab coats waiting for their friends to finish praying.
My home is a place that gives hope to the weak
And now I am a person who wants to give hope to the weak.
My home has shown what poverty is
I’ve seen those veterans sleeping on the doorsteps of Cathedrals.
Often times Latin or Italian Cathedrals
The Cathedrals of the immigrants.
But you say the immigrants will take away from those who sleep
Yet you are often the one walking around the resting, acting as if they don’t exist.
You are not the one letting those worn from life sit on your doorstep
Often you tell them to get a job, to stop being lazy.
The beauty of immigration, all immigration
Is that it makes the world a rainbow.
My world is a rainbow of skin color
My world is a swirling rainbow of cultures.
My world is a beautiful mix of accents
Resulting in even those who only speak English possessing an accent.
My city has been attacked, my home attacked
My loved ones hurt in 9/11.
But still we love the rainbow of people.
Still Lady Liberty holds her torch to light the way for those in need
A torch no one will ever be able to blow out.
