A friend who was working recently in the tiny Republic of El Salvador, one day commented to me about his perceived ill will by certain segments of Salvadoran society toward our homeland, the United States of America. At first, I jokingly responded that we are definitely not a gold coin to be loved and cherished by all. But later and upon further rationalization, I reached the conclusion that:
Anti Americanism may run deep within the socially resentful few, who always seem to omit the fact that El Salvador once sent official emissaries to Washington to request their country's admission into the North American Union.
Although the request was not acted upon at the time, but the fact remains that there are currently more that two million Salvadorans living and working in this marvelous country, many of which are here illegally.
Because of the current worldwide economic crisis that clearly affects poor and underdeveloped countries the most, El Salvador irrefutably needs and lives on the so-called “remesas,” remittances sent by their compatriots working in the United States of America, to relatives in their native homeland. Realizing this need, the Salvadoran government has requested that we give special treatment and even amnesty to Salvadoran illegal immigrants.
There are millions upon millions of people throughout the world clamoring to reach our shores and live their lives in the happiness and freedom that our American Dream affords; a paradisiacal dream that is only found in a light atop of a hill.
These United States of America, because of its unique greatness and enormous generosity to all those less fortunate, has simultaneously become the envy but at the same time the beacon of hope to the world.
This is the classic love hate duality one might often perceive from the insecure, the frustrated and socially resentful of our world. We Americans certainly must rise above this mediocrity and learn to understand and nurture those mourning lost souls, and feel human compassion toward their bias and their repressed ignorance.
God has blessed our America from sea to shining sea, and we need to be fully understanding, compassionate and grateful in our unique greatness. “We are the World” and the hope to millions of languishing souls.
God Bless America!
I spent more than two years living in El Salvador and encountered nothing but good will towards Americans. I ran across more anti- American sentiment during brief trips to Europe than I did during my entire time in El Salvador... even the most uneducated Salvadorans recognize their country's unique relationship with the United States, leading to an unhealthy dependency and perceptions of inadequacy.
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