I saw America New Year's Day

I met an American family Saturday afternoon at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

"So What"? you might ask. "This is America, you see American families all the time, everywhere."

The young man and woman, the mother and father in this family, came here just two years ago from their native land to find work and opportunity, to brave and adjust to the challenges and differences of a new land and a new country.

They are willing to face the differences, the challenges, with the hope of raising a family free from want and limitations.

Twenty-eight year old Arturo Araujo,a machine operator, sat proudly beaming over at the bed that contained his wife Guadeloupe, also 28, and their new born son, born just 23 minutes past midnight, the dawn of 2005.

Nestled under his mother's arm, little Bryan Araujo slept peacefully,covered in soft white knitted wool from head to toe.

Through an interpreter I learned their names and their newborn's name. The Araujos don't speak English - yet. But, but little Bryan will go to school and learn this nation's language.

He will share his father and mother's name and heritage but as of the first day of this year, his birth brought him a new heritage.

Bryan was Gainesville, Georgia's New Year's baby.

And, he is an American.

His roots reach deep through his parents to the ancient land of the Aztecs, but the roots planted by his birth reach back to the men and women who founded, lived in and died for this country - and this country is now his country.

You see, it doesn't matter if your name is O'Neill ,Wong, Limburger or Yablouski. Those are all American names if you are born in America.

Araujo is an American name now.

America is the great melting pot, and has been every since that first young settlement couple from another land far across the ocean gave birth to their first child long ago.

That event, occurring over and over and over, created America.

It happened again Saturday in Gainesville.

I saw America New Year's Day.

Jerry Gunn is a reporter for WDUN NEWS TALK 550, SPORTS RADIO 1240 THE TICKET, and MAJIC 1029 and accessnorthga.com