Today's Joses refueling the American dream

Being an American is like being born into a religion. You never think about it. It's just part of your being. It takes a "convert" to remind you of what you have.

My friend, Jose, brought this home to me recently when he looked me in the eye and asked sternly, "Are you registered to vote?"

I started to tell him, "Of course," but before I could finish he burst out, "I got my citizenship papers!" You would have thought he just won the lottery and was going to Disneyland — all in one swoop.

He was so proud. After almost a year of collecting the necessary papers, he was finally going to be an American citizen and looking forward to being able to vote. The joy and pride I saw in his face, and his eagerness to share that with me, is something I'll always remember.

Jose managed to do it in spite of my "intensive tutoring" in preparation for his oral exams with the INS officer. For several weeks, he would stop by, and I would inquire as to the progress he was making in getting his "papers." I would go over the questions about American history that might be asked on the exam. Questions like, "When did the Pilgrims land on Plymouth Rock?" He said, "1620," to which I quickly corrected him with the right answer, "1492." Being a polite man, he thanked me, and we went on to the next set of questions. "When was the Declaration of Independence signed?" "Who is the president?" "Who are the U.S. senators from Utah?" "Who is the governor of Utah?" etc. He knew all the answers, except the one about the Pilgrims.

After he left, I told my wife that Jose knew all the answers except that the Pilgrims landed in 1492, not 1620, as he thought. "He gave you the right answer. It was 1620," she said. So the next time I saw Jose, I apologized. He simply said, "I wondered about that."

Two weeks later, he stopped by to tell me about the "nice INS officer" who gave him the oral exam, and stated proudly, "The questions were s-o-o-o easy." How many of us could answer those questions? How many of us care? Matter of fact, for some of us, it is downright embarrassing that the newcomer knows more about our country than we do.

Watching Jose and his wife start out doing yard work with an old truck, a pickax and a secondhand lawn mower helps me see the American dream unfold before me. It reminds me of what has made America a great nation and of how much we take for granted. Jose is eager to do any job, big or small, and does it with great pride and a smile.