SEEING AMERICA FOR THE FIRST TIME The reason I love great literature is because it affords me the privilege of looking at the world through someone else’s eyes. How amazing to try on another worldview for a while—to walk cobblestone streets with Charles Dickens in Victorian London or wander barefoot through the slums of Mumbai with Thrity Umrigar. A good author shows us the places they love, warts and all, in order to make us fall in love with the inhabitants of their worlds.
Photo by Joleyn Larson, Mandan, ND
Like great literature, this issue of On Second Thought allows longtime American citizens the opportunity to experience their country through the fresh eyes of people who grew up outside of its borders. It reminds us of the precious value of the things we take for granted every day—freedom, justice, equality, safety, community—and challenges us to consider whether the image we project to the world is an accurate mirror of the reality on the ground here in the United States.
...this issue of On Second Thought allows longtime American citizens the opportunity to experience their country through the fresh eyes of people who grew up outside of its borders.
Are we still the America we think we are? Do the ideas and values we hold sacred in this country have the power to endure even during a time of so much turmoil, both at home and abroad? How do we strengthen our democracy and keep the American Dream alive for all of our citizens? These aren’t always easy questions, but sometimes it takes a fresh perspective to truly see what is right in front of us. Brenna Daugherty Gerhardt Executive Director
