6 immigrants reflect on their complicated relationships with the 4th of July
We asked people who immigrated to the United States what the day meant to them — and how their feelings about the holiday have changed since they first arrived.
For immigrants to the U.S., the Fourth of July brings mixed emotions. Typically marked with barbecues and fireworks, the holiday is a celebration of the country's independence in 1776.
This year, six immigrants reflect on what the day means to them, and how that meaning has evolved in recent years.
Alresch Jayawardena
Immigrated from Sri Lanka
Arrived in the U.S. on July 4, 1991
Initially, we celebrated our arrival here and we did the pageantry: the hotdogs, hamburgers. And even once I joined the military, it was so much more, post-9/11. Of course, as the decades wore on and I spent more time overseas in the Middle East, it made
