On German American Day, I'm reminded of the steps that led by family from Depression-era Germany to today's California. It's an important story but one that is not unlike millions of others involving immigrants who came to these shores.

Because of my parents' decision to emigrate, I had the opportunity to be the first member of my family involved in politics and government. I vividly remember my father's stories of those in his home town who spoke their mind about the county's leadership in World War II and were often never seen again, turned in by some informant for the regime and hauled off in the dead of night by the Gestapo.

Even in today's Europe, it's rare for first generation Europeans to rise through political or government ranks, and even more unusual without a PhD or some other advanced degree. Yet in America, people from all walks of life are routinely elected to federal, state and local offices, providing for a democracy that is more representative of its people than in many other societies.

My father in particular chose America because of freedom. Like so many others, he came to New York with little more than two chests of clothes and goods, drawn here by the promise, and the reality, of political and economic freedom that still serves as a model for much of the world.

Like so many other immigrants, my parents gravitated to a small German-American community on Long Island, working in a German-owned grocery store stocking shelves and living in an apartment above a garage in the back. It took seven years of classes and tests to earn their citizenship, and today their citizenship papers remain framed and on display in my own home. They were both proud to have earned them.

So on this German American Day, I remember my parents, and why they chose to become citizens of this very special country.