My entry to BarackObama.com for the Front Row Drawing
My family fled from Afghanistan in 1980 because of the Soviet invasion and since they believed in democracy, working hard, and living a simple and succesful life - they couldn’t do that in fear or war. My young parents (with their first child, me, en utero) were eventually assigned to Edmond, Oklahoma where they started with only a suitcase and an American dream. Both my parents received University degrees from American programs in Kabul but since they were new to the country my architect father started chipping away concrete on project sites and my mother who was trained as a pharmacist started working in a lab while swapping day and night shifts to make ends meet. Eventually, over time, their hard work overcame language barriers and opportunities allowed them to raise 2 healthy, succesful daughters, become homeowners, and were even able to take a family vacation from time to time.
My father passed away 8 years ago before he could see this sort of election. He always believed in it. Since he was also the breadwinner, my mother has been making it by with sacrifice, multiple jobs, and belief that America will stand up as the place that let us be free and pursue an honorable, good life 26 years ago. She is a simple woman with so much grace, I can only imagine what she has seen in her lifetime and I have so much hope for the future.
We need an administration such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Although many of us made it thus far on our own, with the conditions of our times - we need change to reform and balance the struggling middle class. If my parents were to try and start a life now as they did in 1982, it is not the same place. But I believe as a nation we can make it back.
I feel so good about what we, as a nation of primarily immigrants and the descendants of immigrants, are going to achieve on November 4th. This is truly an amazing time to be an American!
