Practice Plowing Back to Enrich Your Own Community

   Here's a true story that may help you live happier.

   I naturalized 35 years ago. During the ceremony, the presiding judge
gave a speech that helped me live happier till this day. He said to
hundreds of us new citizens that day,

    "You may have mixed emotions today. You may be happy
    because you applied to be an Am. citizen, and you got your
    wish. You may also be sad, because you think you are saying
    good bye to the country and people you once identified with."

    "That is NOT what becoming US citizens means. In becoming a
    citizen, it simply means that you now owe your primary allegiance
    to the USA. You don't need to cut your tie with your old country.
    You can still care about it and want to help its people."

    "The US is a decent nation. It doesn't expect its new citizens to
    cut off their emotional ties with another people and culture upon
    naturalizing. If a person can do that during this ceremony, then the
    same person can probably cut the US off completely through another
    ceremony. America will NOT want people with such an easy value
    system to be its new citizens."

   How well said!

   The topic of "a value system" that Americans generally expect from their
fellow citizens then get me to the subject of "plowing back to enrich
one's own community."

   There are many rich individuals and a few powerful political leaders in
the Asian Am. community. How many rich Asian Ams have given tens of
millions to an Asian Am. cause??? Which of our powerful political leaders
have spoken out on the discrimination against us in workplaces or the
lack of Asian Am. Federal judges???

   There may be a few, but far too few. In contrast, I know quite a few rich
&/or powerful Asian Ams who have consistently turned their backs to the
need of our community, once they thought "they've made it."

   You know what? They may actually have limited themselves. Here is
a case I know:

   A very powerful political leader once told me that he/she tends to trust
those minorities who have a record of serving their own community. If
they don't, he/she can't help but wonder, if those individuals might not
turn their backs to her/him when she/he needs help.

   America values those who volunteer to help their own people
in need, NOT those who are "success robots."

   If you agree with what is said here, pass it around. Practice "enlightened
self interest" and plow back to enrich your own community.