July 4th and the American Dream

Forty-seven years ago a young father of three, Khan, discussed the fate of his family with his father-in-law. Their home was Phnom Penh, Cambodia and it was being taken over by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. It was only a matter of hours before their choice of staying or going would be gone. The two men decided that Khan must leave the country with his family while the elder patriarch remained in Cambodia to accept his fate. This marked the beginning of one of the worst genocides in the history of the world.

The family did get out and they decided to start their new life in America. Khan was an educated man and was able to communicate in English, but his wife and three daughters were not as fortunate. They settled in the Midwest where his education in agriculture and engineering might be valued. With the help of some amazing local people, they started their new lives. The three daughters were enrolled in the local public school and even though they didn’t speak a word of English, managed to assimilate quickly. By the time all five became American citizens, the three girls not only had a command of the culture, but also spoke the language without a hint of an accent. Between the three, they earned three high school diplomas and 5 university degrees. Their father made a career at John Deere and was able to retire with a full pension a number of years ago.

I recount this story on July 4th, because it’s the best example of the American dream I know. That young father became my father-in-law and his second daughter became my wife. They are incredibly modest about their path in life and as long as I have known them, they have simply been Americans with Cambodian traditions and heritage, and that’s the point. America is a great country and for all our faults, we still allow the possibility for the American dream to be realized.

This story is much larger than this little glimpse, but I’m grateful my father-in-law chose America and I’m proud to live in a country that offers hope and opportunity to families like this. Happy 4th of July.