I am a third generation American. Both of my parents were born here and there parents as well with the exception of my fathers father, who was born in Poland. His decision to immigrate to America came after he survived the holocaust.
Source: http://www.polishwashington.com/images/map.jpg
My grandfather was liberated from the Buchenwald concentration camp by American soldiers on April 11, 1945. It was on this day that he got his first taste of American generosity, which stayed with him for the rest of his life. After being liberated, my grandfather went to Switzerland to a displaced persons camp, where he learned that his brother had also survived the holocaust and was residing in Belgium. After recuperating, my grandfather traveled to Belgium and was reunited with his brother. While there, he learned of the good news that his uncle had survived the war as well and was living in New York City at the time. And so in his last move from Europe, my grandfather boarded a boat and arrived on Ellis Island in 1951.
Like many immigrants before him, my grandfather settled on the Lower East Side and enrolled in high school to complete his schooling. It very important to him to learn English so he could get a job and ultimately successfully integrate into American society. Once he received his diploma and was fluent in English, he began to work at a garment factory. However, because he observed the Jewish sabbath, he was forced to quit his job every Friday and look for new work the following Sunday. Even with this hardship, he was able to make a life for himself here. He continued to practice his religious beliefs and began to attend a synagogue, a form of civic engagement. Having survived the Holocaust, my grandfather could not fathom the fact that such religious freedom existed. It was at that synagogue that he met my grandmother, whom he married a year later.
My grandfather has made every effort to integrate into American society. He reads multiple newspapers daily and follows politics closely. If there is a rally, you can bet he will be standing in the crowds, even at the age of 86, fighting for what he believes in. He regards the United States as the most generous country that has ever existed, a country that gave him opportunities for a better life, when all had been taken away from him during the war.
