What’s the one song you never forget? The one song that is passed down from generation to generation, the tune that will forever stay in your mind? The ABC’s of course!
I didn’t grow up in a house with much of distinct cultural background. I grew up among some non-practicing Christian Caucasians. Sure, my father is full blow Italian, my mother is German and Polish, but their lineage never really played a hand in shaping my cultural identity. Growing up, I watched Sesame Street, read Dr. Seuss and ate apple pie. My culture is thoroughly American, and that is why I think that the ABC’s represents my culture.
You know, honestly, this song is completely under-rated. It’s one of the first songs we all learn, my mother learned it from her mother and so on and so forth and I know I will teach it to my own children. I can not tell you how many of the kids who I have babysat have come running up to me, barely able to contain their excitement as they slowly fumbled through the letters of the alphabet to the tune that sounds suspiciously like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. The first time one can recite the ABC’s is the first step in reading, writing, communicating. It’s the first big step of your life.
And when you think about it, you realize that this mind-numbingly simple song, this educational nursery rhyme is a fundamental statement in our lives that first instills the American Spirit into our minds. There are so many countries, so many cultures when literacy is non-essential, when the ability to read and write is a luxury-something only the most educated can do. But in America, being literate opens the doors to all forums of communication. Through communication can be found opportunity, which is what America stands for. Learning your ABC’s is thoroughly American.
When you can spell, you can write. When you can write you can write letters, memos, essays, articles, songs, poems, novels, resumes. All of these things will ultimately lead to your success.
So, to sum up what we have learned so far, learning the ABC’s as a child leads to learning to read, learning to spell, learning to write, which leads to opportunity and then leads to success. Theretofore, learning the ABC’s leads to success.
Success: What is possibly more sought after in America? White picket fence and a green lawn surrounding that nice house with blue shutters…it takes a lot of money to afford that particular American dream, so it requires a lot of success. But even if you don’t aspire to have any great wealth, the only way to make something of yourself, to be the person that you want to be and do the career you want to do, (also part of the American way, this idea of opportunity and freedom) is to learn your ABC’s. To me, this is one of the most significant songs in my culture, even if it didn’t originate here. The song has certainly become one of the many milestones in finding not only the “American Way” but who you are. Who would have thought it was that simple?
I consider myself a Pakistani, despite being born in America. I have grown up in the United States but never fully immersed myself in its culture. My parents have instilled Pakistani culture, values and traditions in me. They have become a big part of my life. It defines who I am. Growing up, I would wear jeans and a t-shirt to school, but I would change my clothes when I got home. I would change into traditional Pakistani clothing called shalwar kameez, because it is traditional and “modest” clothing. I would usually eat Pakistani foods for lunch and dinner. But, now that my sisters and I are older, we are exposed to other types of foods and we introduce those foods to my parents as well. Actually, now when we go out to eat, my dad prefers we have anything but Pakistani food. I haven’t watched as many American movies as I do now. I haven’t listened to a lot of American music, but I do now. I have grown up listening to and watching Pakistani music and movies. It was my parent’s attempt to teach us Pakistani culture, while living in the United States.
I’ve only visited the country twice. Once when I was 2 years old and then again when I was 9. I don’t remember much from my first visit, for obvious reasons. But visiting my country at the age of 9 was a great experience for me. I attended my cousin’s wedding, met most of my relatives, and saw a part of everyday life that I wasn’t used to. I never wore jeans during my visit, because I would be considered an outsider, a foreigner. In my attempt to learn more about my country, I rode the rickshaws, the horse-drawn rides, ate street food, visited the village, and smelled the country. It has a distinct smell, that I miss at times. I would love to visit the country again, but it’s just not possible under the current circumstances of the country.
Pakistan’s Independence Day is August 14th. Every year, there are parades and festivals throughout the city to celebrate the country’s independence. It is really important for me to attend the parades and festivals because it connects me to my country. People try to make it similar to the environment of the country, by selling country flags, traditional clothing and jewelry, and street food. It’s the closest I can get to my country’s atmosphere and environment without actually being in it.
I love attending the annual parade in Manhattan; there’s a mutual feeling of pride that exists. People show their pride by wearing the colors of the flag: green and white.
Patriotic songs arouse so much pride within me because of the emotion that they convey. My favorite Pakistani song is Dil Dil Pakistan by Vital Signs. It’s linked with national occasions and ceremonies, and is probably the most famous patriotic song after the national anthem. The title of the song means Heart, Heart, Pakistan, in its literal translation. It’s so meaningful probably because of the lyrics, which focus on the land and sky of the country. The song talks about the soul and heart of the country. I heard this song about 5 years ago, when I went to my first Pakistani Day Parade. I immediately fell in love with the song because it has so much passion and inspiration. There’s just something special about this song that I can’t explain. It just hits home with me, because I haven’t been able to experience the land and sky of the country as much as I would like to; but there’s still a sense of homesickness.
NYTimes Arts
