No One is Illegal

I wrote this poem to express how I feel about immigration, as an immigrant.

By Marwa from Project Citizen in Connecticut

If americans think of immigrants coming to the US

for a better life as illegal

then no one is legal in this land.

America

built by immigrants

who came for a better future

for their kids.

I know how it feels like to leave your home.


It feels cold and lonely

It sounds like the “RR” in teacher, better, eraser

It looks like falling leaves

It taste sweet like honey, yet bitter like Myrrh

It smells like burnt coffee


I have to learn a new language in order to communicate

I have to adopt the new culture in order to fit in

I have to get used to the weather

It is challenging

for one self

let alone to not feel welcomed by people.


America the land of opportunities to be created

Dreams to be supported

Hospitality to be celebrated

America

The land where the rainbow falls

Why now is it illegal?

Project Citizen

Project Citizen '19

Project Citizen is a youth writing lab that is offered as part of the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University. The mission of Project Citizen is to empower young writers to engage in issues of social and political importance through a variety of genres in order to both find their voice and to become fully realized citizens in our democracy. Project Citizen brings together students from school districts and towns in Fairfield county that represent a variety of economic, racial, ethnic, and religious demographic groups in an effort to break down the "zip code apartheid" that stands in the way of true collaborative learning.

Perfect Lies

This is a song about my American Creed.

Mass incarceration

Ray Nasser and Alex Nemec

Improving Respect

In America today, respect is not found as commonly as it should be. Watch the video to understand more!

American Creed and The Pledge of Allegiance

How the Pledge of Allegiance is a misrepresentation of the American Creed.

The Allfather effect

My piece is about the ways that pantheons and ideas have been destructed through time. Some of these beliefs have lasted for hundreds of years but there was never really talk about how or why the believers just stopped believing.

We are all Americans

My poem is about what can make us all Americans and even when we all come from different nation.

Let's Fight, America

My poem is about fighting for your human rights, and knowing what belongs to you and how to stop it from being taken away.

'Murican Creed

The issue of Immigration

My American Creed

It's just my American Creed

Why to not celebrate the 4th of July

An explanation of why America wasn't really free when we signed the Declaration of Independence.

A Penny for your Thoughts

This is a poem to get you thinking about how something that seems worthless is actually worth more then you think it is.

I Believe

This are my beliefs and how I feel about the American Creed.

True Vision

This is some of my thoughts about my American reality and how I feel about the the concept of the freedom in American.

The Reamble

My piece is a black out poem with the Preamble of the constitution.

The Beautiful American Lie

This is about how the American Dream is a lie. I'm not really in any minorities, I just wanted to point all this stuff out.

Immigration: Poem of American Creed

The Electoral College is Failing America

The Electoral College is why Trump is in Office

Lights in the future

This poem is about making the choice to not let things get in your way, but instead, trying to make a difference and give hope to the world.

A Few Words

The Pledge of Allegiance rewritten

Happiness

This is a poem about my cousin, who recently moved.

Action & Expression

A poem inspired by the American Creed.

Let's Talk, America

This is my response to the concept of an American Creed.

It's Hard to Keep Talking

I struggled to write about the idea of American Creed because it's a topic that everybody hears of so many times throughout school. To express personal opinions can only happen so many times. This piece conveys how repetitive it is to keep putting a unique spin on the idea.

The Truest Believer

On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the US. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. Domestic abuse is a big problem here in America, this spoken word poem strives to give hope to those victims.

More responses from Connecticut

Surprise Me

Expectations of America

This piece is an attempt to explain what it takes to move one's entire life across the world. It shows what makes one want to leave and what makes one choose America. The boy pictured is my father at age 11, on the bottom, where he came from; above, where he wanted to go.

Interview with my Grandmother from Korea

In order to answer the question "how does your family and community history connect to your American creed?" I interviewed my grandmother who immigrated from Korea in 1973 to learn about what drew her to America.

Choose your path

This picture is about a kid that is looking up to his father. The father is giving him a present of good values. There is also a lightning bolt blocking the good values by social media. A TV, book and a phone can easily change your views. You have to choose your path.

How my family shapes my American Creed...

My project, looking through the lens of my father's American story, focuses on how my family has shaped my view of the American identity.

Pop's Story

I wrote a story about my Pop, who grew up in poverty, and how he proves that the American Dream is, in fact, attainable to any American through hard work, perseverance despite wealth, social status, and circumstances at birth.

American Creed Project

How my family and community has shaped my understanding of what it means to be an American

The Importance of Education

This piece expresses my American creed and how my values about education and hard work have shaped me and the decisions I make. Different perspectives are incorporated to illustrate similar beliefs and how other peoples creeds tie into my own.

The Story of an Orzeł Biały

My American Creed consists of letting life take its course, working hard, and always staying connected to my roots and my family. In this video all three parts are going to be demonstrated,showing how my american creed ties into my family.

How Diverse Americans Understand the American Creed

Different cultures, although having different ideologies, interpret the American Creed as the right to pursue the American Dream. This allows a stronger communal bond to be formed within America, as we all are striving to achieve the same goals.

My Family's American Creed

The story of my parents and how they have passed their American Creed onto me.

American Creed - Diversity

My American creed is to be a real American, one needs to live to their full potential and strive to be the greatest they can be. My interview with my parents, about their different cultures, helps me understand how they are the American they are today.

How Do You Express Your American Creed?

My text is about how my family and I have expressed our American creeds together. It talks about what it is and means to be an American and the rights that you are given.

More responses about "dream", "future", "humanity", "identity", and "immigration"

Surprise Me

Opportunity for Immigrants in America

Gives an outlook of the opportunities that immigrants have in America.

Immigration Stories

These immigration stories are supposed to see the point of view of immigrants. It's supposed to help you understand their struggles.

Is the American Dream still achievable?

Is it still possible to pursue a happy life with a stable job, a family, and wealth or success in life?

American Creed

Through hard work, fighting for your identity, knowing who you are, and being true to yourself it can lead you to the American Dream. People need to value their opportunities and work for what they want.

Aspiring Americans

I'll be illustrating my American creed through my dzi dzi (grandpa in Polish) along with inspiring individuals who contributed to the documentary American Creed. My creed is a diamond whose facets are education, nature, and governmental awareness.

Immigration in America

In this podcast, we discuss the issue of immigration and how it affects everyday life in the US. We discuss why it is important to the success of America, and how it affects other countries, as well.

What is my American Creed?

In today's world, we have learned lots of lessons along the way to shape our society into who and what we are. One thing, however that has made us who we are is the fact that we believe so strongly in defending ourselves and standing our ground.

Do Not Stay In The Past But Think About The Future

In my essay I wrote about the malpractice of the KKK and how it affected the people of color and also I wrote an encouraging letter on why it is important to speak up.

Rehabilitation Over Punishment for Drug Addicts

The "Land of the Free" has the highest incarceration rate in the world. The US can become a much better place by rehabilitating drug addicts and potentially other nonviolent offenders.

Immigrants and their Role in the American Creed

The United States has been called a "country of immigrants." Immigrants play a major role in our life as Americans and they have shaped our country over the past hundreds of years.

The Creed and Dreams of the American People

The analysis of the quote that claims “...Powers are derived from the consent of the governed...” and how it relates to the illusive American Dream that we all share, as well as what it means to me.

My Identity Story

This is my identity story on how my ancestors came over to the United States. I'm showing how I ended up where I live today and showing how we all can come from different places and still end up at the same high school.

Immigration and the American Dream

Immigration to America changed throughout the decades and this is how.

Where Are You Going?

My opinions on why it's important to look forward.

Happiness

This is a poem about my cousin, who recently moved.

'Murican Creed

The issue of Immigration

America: The Dark Side of the Dream

My essay is regarding our country's foundation of the American Dream, and how it eventually influenced my family to emigrate to the States, even in the present day of unjust immigrant laws.

Show the American in You

This is my op-ed on what it means to be an American

Freedom, Opportunity and the American Creed

My piece is about the history of my grandparents and how their lives in Italy were able to connect to my American Creed.

Growing Up in America With Immigrant Parents

I wrote about how my parents taught me to love who I am by being true to myself.

American Citizenship

We researched the process of naturalization through the lives of our family members and other people with similar stories.

American Creeds Future

American identity and culture will be shaped not by the adults, but the children and immigrants that are moving into society.

The Truth Untold

My essay is about the struggles of being black and gay in america. This is a quick story about my life and how i don't feel like an american.

My American Creed

This is what I think being an American is...

Writing Our Future: American Creed is part of the National Writing Project’s family of youth publishing projects, all gathered under the Writing Our Future initiative.

Writing Our Future projects are designed by educators for educators and the young people they work with. Intended for use in schools, libraries, and other educational settings. All projects are COPPA compliant and educator-managed. NWP is committed to supporting young people’s writing and civic participation by providing a safe and supportive environment for youth writing, media creation, sharing, and publishing.