You will probably never catch me parading in blatant displays of red, white and blue (except maybe during the summer Olympic games) that many believe are necessary to prove their patriotism.  However, with every year that passes I become more thankful to live in the United States of America as a Latina.

Rather than chanting “America’s number one! Everyone else sucks!” I choose to absorb this country’s greatness by observing my everyday surroundings, such as my father’s successful small business,or intelligent women around me breaking through the glass ceilings. Even the radical demonstrators on television freely protesting government legislature inspire me.  I appreciate America’s bountifulness and play my part to keep it that way by paying it forward through the art of journalism and reporting the truth about our community.

Of course, America is far from utopia and several pockets of issues remain unsettled. The race barrier, unfortunately, is one of those problems that we just can’t seem to knock.  But CNN’S upcoming documentary mini-series, Latino in America will examine the topic of racism among others.  Personally, I look forward to the program addressing aspects of the Hispanic population that need improvement. But I'm also eager to see examples of success in my community as well.

America has been very good to my family since they came here in the 1980s, fleeing Nicaragua’s Sandinista revolution.  My parents left the comfort of their native land to escape life-threatening circumstances like so many others. Instead of being turned away, however, they were met with open arms by way of American political amnesty. At no time were they ever handed an easy life. They were given the tools to build anew in a foreign place and a better chance at the pursuit of happiness.

I hope the documentary teaches skeptics how Latinos positively wield their power in America. I want everyone to learn about the success stories, and not just the less-than-perfect statistics.  For the Latinos who may turn a blind eye to the problems, I hope the program helps them identify what they can change to move the community forward.

Latinos are such a culturally diverse group. Educating others and each other about who we are is crucial to tearing down damaging stereotypes that plague us. America is where amazing things happen everyday and we decide whether individual success is an actuality or not.   Our freedom to make dreams come true and live as one will always be more American than waving any flag – no matter how big or loud it is.