It’s my 'Americaversary.' After 40 years, here’s the one big thing I have learned about my adopted home

Every year, on July 20, our family celebrates the day my mother and I arrived in America. We tell the stories of our arrival, of our assimilation and marvel at the unbelievable luck that we get to be Americans. I feel blessed every single day. I look at my American children and know how fortunate I am. 

There are days when it’s hard to be optimistic about America. We’ve had another tough year. I hear from people all the time who are struggling in their everyday lives and find it hard to maintain hopefulness in their country’s future.