Some folks are in high dudgeon over Hulk Hogan’s endorsement of Donald Trump. The chief complaint seems to be Hogan’s use of the phrase “Real Americans” and his claim that Real Americans would support Donald Trump.
I’m sure some Real Americans will, and some won’t. Either way, I’m not going to spend time and energy trying to decipher the deeper meaning behind what a professional wrestler says while he’s in character. However, the comments other people posted to social media made me wonder, “What is a real American?”
The first person I thought of was my late friend Khaled. Khaled was born in Palestine. He moved to America for college and work and stayed here to teach. He brought his enthusiasm for life with him. He also brought his accent and quirky sense of humor. In some ways he was a Palestinian Yaakov Smirnoff.
Once he was asked if it was true that women in Palestine had to walk three steps behind the men.
“No No No! In my country, woman always go first. That way she find land mines and you stay safe.”
Khaled was full of good advice. “If you go to visit my country, always ride the tallest camel. That way, if camel step on land mine, shrapnel go under you and you safe!”
The happiest I ever saw Khaled was the day he became a US citizen. He couldn’t stop smiling. I printed a picture for him. I photoshopped a picture of his face onto a cartoon of Captain America in his red, white, and blue costume and labeled it “Captain Khaled.” It stayed on his office door as long as he lived.
Khaled chose to be an American citizen. I’d say that made him a Real American.
I thought about my friend Ori. Ori is a musician. He moved to the US from Israel. He married a girl from Memphis who’s also a musician. They have a beautiful daughter. I think she’s four. Ori, his wife, and their band perform all over the world and could live anywhere they choose.
They choose to live in the United States. He’s in the last stages of the naturalization process. Ori is a Real American.
Then I thought about a guy I met working at a convenience store in Coldwater ten or so years ago. I never did catch his name. He told me he walked from Somalia to Libya. According to MapQuest that’s somewhere between 4000 and 5000 miles.
He walked. Then he crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Italy as a stow-away on a boat. After two years in Italy, he was able to get a visa to enter the US. Along the way he learned to speak six different languages. He works. He was eventually able to bring his family to the US. His kids attend American schools.
I asked him why he chose to come here, meaning Coldwater. I guess I wasn’t clear. He said, “Because America is the greatest country with the most freedom.”
I’d say he’s a Real American.
And there’s Ben. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed Ben takes great joy in telling people that he’s African American. Here, he’s a pilot. In South Africa he was a soldier and saw combat. He was severely wounded, escaped the country, came to the US and made a home. His children have made careers in the US Army.
Ben could have lived anywhere in the world. He chose to come to Mississippi.
I’d say Ben and his children are Real Americans.
Fifty Six men signed the Declaration of Independence. I think most people would agree these fifty six men who, “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” made the choice to commit high treason against their king were Real Americans even before the United States was a country.
So, what is a Real American?
I thought about Khaled, Ori, Ben, the Somali gentlemen, and the Founding Fathers. I think they are all Real Americans even if they are different. Their ancestries are different. Their languages and religions are different. Their lives were very different. What was the common thread?
They all made a commitment to freedom and the American dream of a better life for themselves their families. They all chose to be Americans.
We could all learn something from their example.
