As I entered our local grocery store this morning, the security guard called me over.
“I like your shirt,” she said. I was wearing Angel City FC’s Immigrant City tee.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“I said to my church women’s group today, ‘Happy 4th of July to the Americans first and also…”
She stammered a bit.
“Wait, I am trying to get my words.”
I waited.
“Happy 4th of July to the Americans first and also for the immigrants. Like your shirt.”
“Well, none of our people are originally from here. We are all immigrants,” I said.
“Except the people who were on this land,” she retorted.
“And yet, those are the ones whom our nation considers least American. But, as my shirt says, ‘Los Angeles is for everyone.’ So is America.”
As we parted, I said loudly, “My African sister, my American sister, Happy Independence Day!”
She smiled widely and yelled back, “For all of us!”
For all of us.
Photo by Janay Peters on Unsplash