All I have is America

Those people over there
Protesting our immigration laws
And saying they’re not fair
Waving flags from other countries
And All I have is America

Those people on them shows
Saying that we’re all immigrants
None are native to this land
None are indigenous
And All I have is America

Look at me
My race did not come here for free
We paid in sweat and toil
We paid with slavery spoils
And All I have is America

Some came as servants
Some came as cargo,
Some hung from trees
Not so long ago
We did not migrate here
But we’re here all the same
All I have is America
And American is my name

I have no second language
My roots were severed in the passage
There is no one ‘back home’
A hyphened name is all I own
And All I have is America

Those before me fell in Boston
Those before me fought in Virginia
Even though most weren’t free
We still fought to protect this democracy
And All I have is America

Our children have died
Our mother’s have mourned
We have overcome the obstacles
That bigotry had born
And All I have is America

I am a patriot
because this is my home.
Though my people suffered greatly
We held our own
I am an American
I take the good with the bad
I don’t ask for nothin’
But what my Forefathers had

A chance to live in peace
A free people are we.
Our sojourn has ended
I am an American you see.

So let them wave the flags of their origin
Let them speak the language of their home
For me and mine, our flag is Ole Glory
For me and mine, this is our home.

All we have is America
And that’s quite alright with me.
I’m and American in language, borders, and culture
And I live in liberty.

By Michael DiBartolo
March 29, 2006