Becoming American

We arrived at the Albuquerque Convention Center on a recent Friday morning.

It was a big day for the Kandie family. Janet and Solomon are amazing people who give their energy toward our Albuquerque community – Janice as a nurse and Solomon as an IT guru who works for our city.

Both had worked diligently for over twenty years as Kenyans toward American citizenship. Janice received her citizenship a few months earlier and today was Solomon’s turn. As an accomplished marathon runner, this process was truly his biggest test of endurance.

In typical government speech, the letter to Solomon read:

Walking in, there was an incredible energy in the building.

Languages from across the world being spoken, a beautiful symphony.

Families large and small gathered to similarly mark the end of a long journey toward becoming American.

Some wore attire from their homelands proudly. Others has USA emblazoned gear.

(A funny moment was showing up to surprise Solomon dressed in African dashiki while he dressed in a suit)

I found myself filled with joy as I thought of how each of these individuals have overcome hardships; In their homelands, and right here in the U.S., each of them had to overcome so much to be here.

I thought of the amazing amount of support that each of them needed, from family to legal representation, to make this day a reality.

Solomon is waving his flag as the ceremony begins

I also faced some tough questions:

What does being American mean to me?

Why do I not feel the patriotism that these people in front of me do?

Why do I not feel as proud of my country as I once did?

If I traveled abroad, would I be proud to tell people the country I come from?

Why do I take for granted the un-earned privilege that comes with being a U.S. Citizen?

How do I use my U.S. citizenship to improve the lives of others?

 

I wonder if those questions are meaningful for you, and if so, how we go about answering them for ourselves and together.

I have reflected since that day on how I can become more positive toward my country and the un-realized ideals on which it stands. Recognizing the privileges I have as a U.S. citizen on a regular basis, thinking of people like the Kandies who work for decades just to be counted in this group.

I think my patriotism is expressed more in “we can do better” and finding out how to make it so, and for me those are more important than waving an American flag or wearing red, white and blue gear.

I am convinced that reflecting on what becoming American means for those of us who are U.S. citizens is just as relevant as it was for those in the Convention Center ceremony that day.

Friends of the family from the local running community presented a cake for the 

Kandie family later that evening. A long race was finally done/won!

Revolt Runners

342 years ago today, the most important run ever to take place in this country culminated in the Pueblo Revolt. August 10th, 1680.

This was a run for survival. It was a run to unify peoples who had been subjected to colonizer's violence.

The runners were from the Pueblos of current day New Mexico and were to run to each of the other Pueblo communities with a message that there would be a revolt against the Spanish who had inflicted violence, slavery and horrific acts over the previous 140 years since their arrival.

A cord with knots was given as they arrived, with instructions that each morning one of the knots was to be untied. When there were no further knots left, that was the day to revolt against the Spanish. Po’pay, an Ohkay Owingeh medicine man and leader previously been imprisoned by the Spanish, led what became known as the Pueblo Revolt.

Ethan Gutierrez, a youth from Sandia Pueblo, created this sculpture to honor Po'Pay.

The runners…

I think about some of the distances covered – 20, 30, 50 miles or more. Distances we now traverse in vehicles they accomplished on foot.

I think about some of these runners being youth. I imagine the strength it took and the strength they carried in their bodies, minds, and spirits.

I think of how well the runners must have known the land, their internal compass pointing the way to their destination.

I think about the risk these runners incurred by committing to the run itself. Risks of being caught, as happened to Catua and Omtua, two Tesuque youth runners who were tortured and killed after being captured on their run.

Life-size bronze statue of Catua and Omtua by former Pojoaque Pueblo Gov. George Rivera

I wonder what the runners might they have been thinking as they covered long miles. Were they in prayer during the run? Did they think of the seven Generations to come after them?

For those who are runners, honor them as you run today and this week. Run for them.

For those who work to address injustices and inequities that continue to play out colonization's aims, with Indigenous and other communities of color suffering disproportionately, honor the resistance of August 10th, 1680 as a reminder of what united and coordinated efforts to stand up for justice can achieve.

Footnotes:

The Pueblo Revolt through the eyes of youth. A beautiful spoken word piece “Po’Pay” by the Santa Fe Indian School spoken word team in 2010.

On September 22, 2005, the Po'Pay statue in the rotunda of the U.S. Congress building was unveiled. The artist, Cliff Fragua, was the first American Indian artist to have a statue placed in the Statuary Hall. The statue, slightly larger than life size, shows Po'Pay holding a knotted cord in his left hand, the signal for the initiation of the revolt. In his right hand is a bear fetish and behind him a pot, both symbolizing the Pueblo world and religion. On his back are the scars from the whipping he received as a consequence of his observing Pueblo religious ceremonies. (Source: Wikipedia)