Our Valley Santa Clarita July/August 2017 | Page 10

STATE
OUR VALLEY SANTA CLARITA
The United States, considered the world’s melting pot, is a nation built by immigrants. And while many nations define
themselves by their sameness in ethnicity, religion and language, we Americans embrace our differences and choose
to define ourselves by our shared values rather than appearance. No celebration exemplifies this more than the 4th of
July, when Americans of all colors, creeds and ethnicities join together to commemorate the signing of the Declaration
of Independence. We celebrate these words: “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
In many ways, immigrants have a greater understanding of what it means to be an American than those born here.
They embrace America’s opportunity and enrich us all with their art, food, music and literature. Behind every American
is an immigrant’s story. My wife Vanessa’s family is from Armenia, and many times while sitting around the dinner table
they have shared