Being the only child of a single mother, Sergio was raised by his maternal grandparents in a South Texas region better known as the Rio Grande Valley. This memoir details his upbringing as a poor migrant worker of Mexican descent having to pick crops for a living since the age of seven. As a way to break from the family cycle of picking crops and depending on government welfare programs, Sergio joined the United States Army and served ten years on active duty. He was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina shortly after the Bosnian War only to find and deal with the aftermath of the genocide that took place there and be caught in the middle of several attacks. His experiences in Bosnia ultimately led to experiencing signs and symptoms related to PTSD. After completing ten years of military service, Sergio joined the U.S. Border Patrol. Being of Mexican descent and having family in South Texas and in Mexico gave way to new issues of having to counter threats against his family and ill-willed opinions of him for arresting and deporting "his own kind."

A picture book adaptation of Lee Greenwood's patriotic song, God bless the U.S.A.

This book is the account of an ordinary woman trying to live life with good intentions, and translating those good intentions into action by helping others, in the aftermath of a really traumatic national event - 9/11/01. The primary focus is on Terror and its effects on a personal life, and indeed the life of the nation. Interwoven is a deep concern for fairness and justice, especially as regards children. No book should be complete without "politics!" There is that also. There is a mix of grief, anger and humor (the real elixir of life!)

America is the greatest nation on earth, with an unmatched record of creativity, innovation, scientific advances and sporting sensations. This fact-packed, fun-filled jaunt through the year celebrates all the fantastic achievements of Americans and remembers everything that makes ours a country to be proud of. Which country has won the most Olympic Medals and the most Nobel Prizes? Where were jazz, blues, rap, country and western, and hip-hop first played? Who invented the movies, lasers, cell phones, elevators, the computer you're reading this on and, most importantly, earmuffs? Donuts, hamburgers, hot dogs and Coke may not be healthy, but they sure taste good. And it doesn’t hurt that we produce the world’s highest selling whiskey (Jack Daniel’s) and have the world’s biggest brewery. Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Jesse Owens turned their sports upside down they were so talented. We even came up with a few new ones: basketball, snowboarding, volleyball, surfing, skateboarding and Frisbee. Who put man on the moon? You know damn well who. This book tells you the true story behind a fantastic American achievement for every day of the year, and adds a little bit of humor as well. So let the following pages fire up your heart, get your patriot’s blood pumping and remember that you are a citizen of the land of the free and the home of the brave. You are an American, be proud!

First published in 1956, Proud Shoes is the remarkable true story of slavery, survival, and miscegenation in the South from the pre-Civil War era through the Reconstruction. Written by Pauli Murray the legendary civil rights activist and one of the founders of NOW, Proud Shoes chronicles the lives of Murray's maternal grandparents. From the birth of her grandmother, Cornelia Smith, daughter of a slave whose beauty incited the master's sons to near murder to the story of her grandfather Robert Fitzgerald, whose free black father married a white woman in 1840, Proud Shoes offers a revealing glimpse of our nation's history.

The inspiring and critically acclaimed all-American story of faith, family, hard work, and perseverance by Olympic fencer, activist, New York Times bestselling author, and Time "100 Most Influential People" honoree Ibtihaj Muhammad At the 2016 Olympic Games, Ibtihaj Muhammad smashed barriers as the first American to compete wearing hijab, and she made history as the first Muslim American woman to win a medal. But before she was an Olympian, activist, and entrepreneur, Ibtihaj was a young outsider trying to find her place. Growing up in suburban New Jersey, Ibtihaj was often the only African American Muslim student in her class. When she discovered and fell in love with fencing, a sport most popular with affluent young white people, she stood out even more. Rivals and teammates often pointed out Ibtihaj's differences, telling her she would never succeed. Yet she powered on, rising above bigotry and other obstacles on the path to pursue her dream. Ibtihaj's inspiring journey from humble beginnings to the international stage is told in her own words and enhanced with helpful advice and never-before-published photographs. Proud is an all-American tale of faith, family, hard work, and self-reliance.

This wonderfully rich anthology uses the soul-shaping power of story, speech, and song to help Americans realize more deeply—and appreciate more fully—who they are as citizens of the United States. At once inspiring and thought-provoking, What So Proudly We Hail features dozens of selections on American identity, character, and civic life by our countryÆs greatest writers and leaders—from Mark Twain to John Updike, from George Washington to Theodore Roosevelt, from Willa Cather to Flannery OÆConnor, from Benjamin Franklin to Martin Luther King Jr., from Francis Scott Key to Irving Berlin. Developing robust American citizens involves educating the heart as well as the mind. It is not enough to understand our nationÆs lofty principles or know our history; thoughtful and engaged citizens require cultivated moral imaginations and fitting sentiments and attitudes—matters both displayed in and nurtured by our great works of imaginative literature and rhetoric. Featuring the editorsÆ insightful and instructive commentary, What So Proudly We Hail illuminates our national identity, the American creed, the American character, and the virtues and aspirations of active citizenship. This marvelous book will not only be a fixture on bedside tables; it will also spark conversations in homes, schools, colleges, and reading groups everywhere.