REPORT: July/August 2006

From the President

Happy Birthday, America

by Verlia Brown, MA, RN, C

On July 4, the United States of America celebrated its birthday.

On July 16, I celebrated my birthday.

I enjoy the fact that I share a birthday month with my adopted country.

As is true for many registered nurses who immigrated here, I think America is the greatest country in the world. I’ve been a citizen for 25 years now, so I’m hardly a newcomer – but it’s still a thrill for me to play even a small part in the history of this nation.

The nursing profession has been particularly blessed by the contributions of those who came to these shores looking for freedom and a better life. In New York City, 35% of practicing registered nurses are foreign-born. Every day, they care for the citizens of their adopted country with compassion and competency.

Nurses who have come to America from other countries have made significant contributions to the profession:

• Sister Elizabeth Fedde (Norway) immigrated in 1882 and nine days later organized the Volunteer Relief Society for Norwegian immigrants in New York City and Brooklyn.
• Alice Fisher (England) came to America in 1884 and in the four years before her death in 1889 founded the Philadelphia General Hospital School of Nursing.
• Annie Damer (Canada) went to the Bellevue School of Nursing, was instrumental in the founding of NYSNA, and served as president of from 1904 to 1906.
• Lolita Compas (Philippines) is the immediate past president of NYSNA and an activist on behalf of Filipino nurse immigrants.

Some people say that Americans who are born here don’t appreciate their freedoms as much as those who came here later in life. I’m not sure if that’s true, but Independence Day is a good time for all of us to consider what we have. We may oppose the policies of the government and administration, but we must embrace the ideals of America and resolve to preserve them as best we can.

In the words of Adlai Stevenson:

When an American says that he loves his country, he means not only that he loves the New England hills, the prairies glistening in the sun, the wide and rising plains, the great mountains, and the sea. He means that he loves an inner air, an inner light in which freedom lives and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect.

That’s why I urge people to register to vote and to vote in every election. All of us have the responsibility to be informed about issues that affect our nation, our patients, and our profession. Democracy is a wonderful privilege and we all must be involved in the process if it is going to survive.

So, enjoy the summer weather. Spend time with your families. And remember to love your country. Let freedom ring.