On July 14, 1940, my grandfather, Henry Guggenheimer, left Berlin, Germany, and set out on what would become one of the greatest journeys of his life. He, along with his mother, my great-grandmother, had earlier left Stuttgart, Germany, their hometown, for Berlin; and even that passage, short when compared with the one that was to follow, was fraught with danger. He and my great-grandmother were making this perilous exodus in order to escape the Nazi persecutions of Jews that were occurring all over Germany at the time.

The only way out of this nightmare was eastwards, towards Russia and Japan. On July 16, 1940, my grandfather crossed the border into Lithuania. From there, he headed towards Moscow, and the frigid plains of Siberia. Soon, they reached Pusan, Korea, and there boarded a ship for Japan. On August 6, 1940, my grandfather set sail for Honolulu, Hawaii.

He and his mother finally reached San Francisco, California, on August 28, 1940, almost two months after their ordeal had begun. My grandfather was eleven years old, and for him, another great adventure was just beginning.

They made their way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where their new life began. I can only imagine what it was like for my grandfather. He had no idea how to speak the language of his new home, and he and his mother were just settling in.

Perhaps the one thought that gave them solace at the time was the fact that they had escaped the awful deeds of the Nazi regime in Germany, by now worse than most people probably ever thought possible.

My grandfather then moved to Lima, Ohio. It was there he met my grandmother, Barbara Wall. They married and had three children, Joel, Barry and Leslee. On March 30, 1992, Joel had a son, myself, and I became Henry Guggenheimer’s first grandchild.

My grandfather’s story is paralleled throughout history. From 1820 to about 1870, almost seven and a half million people came to the United States. Some were Irish, fleeing the Great Potato Famine that was then occurring in Ireland. Some were German, trying to find a new beginning for themselves and their families.

In the 1850’s, Chinese immigrants began making the journey here. Then, in 1881, immigration spiked again. By 1920, almost 23.5 million people had made the journey to the United States from every region in the world. This included my mother’s family, who immigrated from Germany and Poland to these United States, eventually settling in Pittsburgh, just as my grandfather had. This huge influx of people occurred in a time period of a little less than 40 years. Even now, this trend continues.

All these people made the United States of America what it is today. They did not hesitate to tell their story; they did not hesitate to share their history and I encourage you to do the same. Let the people of this country learn from you your culture, so that their own will be enriched by it.

But, there is one more thing you must pass on to those who come after you. Not just your story, but also the trials you faced as you worked to gain a new life here in America must be told to children like me, so that nothing will be forgotten.

If anyone knows the fortitude and courage it takes to establish a new life in a new country, it is you. You, of all people, know the rewards this nation gives its citizens and you are the ones who can best appreciate them.

The next generation will not know what life was like in your homeland, and it is important for you to tell them about it. Otherwise, who will? Who will give them the appreciation you have for this country, if you don’t? Who will stop them from taking certain things for granted, if you don’t?

It is perhaps to the efforts of my family that I owe the life I now lead today. It was my family that made the choice to come this United States of America, like so many other immigrants, and in so doing gave to me one of the greatest gifts possible. That gift was freedom.

Because they made the journey, I am now able to practice my religion freely. Because they made the journey, I can say and do things that in many places remain impossible. Because they, relatives from years past, made the journey, I have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I hope you realize that by becoming citizens of the United States of America, you are changing not only your life, but also the lives of the coming generations. You are bestowing upon yourself and all of your descendants the basic rights all humans ought to enjoy.

Always remember that. Always remember that by coming to this wonderful place, you gave children like myself the chance to live a better life. It was you who made the effort.

If ever someone takes for granted the rights this nation bestows upon its upright citizens, it is your job to remind them of the trials you faced and then conquered. It is your duty to say, “Because I made the journey, you are here today.”

Congratulations on becoming citizens of these United States of America.