1 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:10,680 Benny, we're going to go again, is that clear? 2 00:00:10,900 --> 00:00:11,900 Full thing? 3 00:00:12,020 --> 00:00:13,700 Why the fuck not? Yeah, yeah. 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:17,080 See you. 5 00:00:19,140 --> 00:00:24,780 Long, long ago in a land far, far away, a wee fat Scottish boy was watching 6 00:00:24,780 --> 00:00:29,500 television when he saw astronauts landing on the moon, and he thought to 7 00:00:29,500 --> 00:00:34,300 himself, oh, how did I get to be like those magical men in the rocket ships? 8 00:00:34,700 --> 00:00:38,490 A voice came to him and said, First thing you've got to do is get yourself 9 00:00:38,490 --> 00:00:43,070 America. And that's what I did, because I was that fat wee Scottish boy. 10 00:00:43,350 --> 00:00:47,830 Now, look. See that hill over there? That's Mexico. Not just the hill. 11 00:00:47,830 --> 00:00:51,910 lot more Mexico behind it. And then that river there, that's the Rio Grande. And 12 00:00:51,910 --> 00:00:53,890 this here, this is the United States of America. 13 00:00:54,270 --> 00:00:57,530 Now, a lot of people from over there want to come over here. In fact, a lot 14 00:00:57,530 --> 00:01:01,810 people from all over the world want to come here. Now, I know why I did it, but 15 00:01:01,810 --> 00:01:02,890 what about everybody else? 16 00:01:04,709 --> 00:01:05,990 What is America? 17 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:08,440 Is it a promise? A contradiction? 18 00:01:08,860 --> 00:01:09,860 A dream? 19 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:12,760 Everyone has their own idea, including me. 20 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,020 I wasn't born here, but I love this place. 21 00:01:16,220 --> 00:01:18,920 I want to show you why I became American. 22 00:01:19,220 --> 00:01:20,220 On purpose. 23 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,960 I'm an immigrant, but a lot of people wanted me to come here. 24 00:01:34,090 --> 00:01:36,950 They just all happened to be people who lived in Scotland. 25 00:01:37,230 --> 00:01:38,250 But I came anyway. 26 00:01:40,270 --> 00:01:45,470 I took my oath to be a citizen on February the 1st, 2008, in Los Angeles. 27 00:01:45,850 --> 00:01:48,070 It's a big deal becoming a citizen. 28 00:01:48,310 --> 00:01:50,610 It's like getting married, but to a country. 29 00:01:50,830 --> 00:01:54,990 Except there wasn't a fight and no one was drunk, so it wasn't like a wedding 30 00:01:54,990 --> 00:01:55,908 my family. 31 00:01:55,910 --> 00:01:57,670 Till death do us part. 32 00:02:01,710 --> 00:02:06,790 In my opinion, There is no view in the world that can't be improved by turning 33 00:02:06,790 --> 00:02:09,310 to someone you love and saying, look at that. 34 00:02:09,610 --> 00:02:14,310 A shared experience with someone you care about makes that experience even 35 00:02:14,310 --> 00:02:19,790 better. That was the feeling I got when my dear, lovely pal, Katie Tunstall, 36 00:02:19,850 --> 00:02:24,830 became a citizen. Katie is a Grammy -nominated rock star. She was born in 37 00:02:24,830 --> 00:02:29,990 Scotland, too, and also became an American citizen, but only recently. So 38 00:02:29,990 --> 00:02:31,450 not at my level of America. 39 00:02:31,930 --> 00:02:34,130 So I brought her to Texas to learn her song. 40 00:02:36,770 --> 00:02:38,610 Starting with Cowboy Hat. 41 00:02:40,890 --> 00:02:43,210 Big -ass Texas cowboy hat. 42 00:02:43,470 --> 00:02:48,070 Because pound for pound, gallon for gallon, nothing says you're American 43 00:02:48,070 --> 00:02:49,029 cowboy hat. 44 00:02:49,030 --> 00:02:54,010 You got your steps, your ridge top, your cattleman, your pink pony club, your 45 00:02:54,010 --> 00:02:55,430 giant foam novelty hat. 46 00:02:55,890 --> 00:03:00,190 American, every one of them. Well, maybe that last one is made in China. But you 47 00:03:00,190 --> 00:03:01,190 get the point. 48 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:06,140 Have you ever had one in your life? I've never, ever had a cowboy hat. Poor KT. 49 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:07,940 She desperately needs one. 50 00:03:13,220 --> 00:03:17,900 That is like J .R. Ewing's hat. I was obsessed with Dallas, the TV show, when 51 00:03:17,900 --> 00:03:19,920 was a kid because it was on in the 80s in the UK. 52 00:03:21,740 --> 00:03:23,280 Oh, we can't afford it. 53 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:30,020 In the 1980s, Dallas was huge in Scotland, probably because of all those 54 00:03:30,540 --> 00:03:32,560 And money, and sex, and oil. 55 00:03:32,820 --> 00:03:34,040 But mostly the hats. 56 00:03:34,260 --> 00:03:36,040 All those great characters. 57 00:03:36,860 --> 00:03:39,980 J .R., Sue Ellen, the old lady. 58 00:03:40,500 --> 00:03:41,500 Shania? 59 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:43,380 The Jonas Brothers. 60 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:44,840 B. Arthur. 61 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:49,300 Okay, it was a long time ago. I don't remember all the names. But I do know 62 00:03:49,300 --> 00:03:53,140 we all wanted to come to America and live like they did on Dallas. 63 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,700 You stay there, right? You be J .R., right? And I'll be Sue Ellen. Hold on. 64 00:03:57,880 --> 00:03:59,160 Right? Are you ready? 65 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,700 J .R., what the hell are you doing? Not now, honey. 66 00:04:06,740 --> 00:04:07,760 We're making a deal. 67 00:04:11,180 --> 00:04:12,180 Hello. 68 00:04:12,460 --> 00:04:13,660 How does one mount? 69 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:15,520 Do you go in the syrup? 70 00:04:16,820 --> 00:04:17,820 There you go. 71 00:04:17,860 --> 00:04:19,620 There we go. There you go. Hey. 72 00:04:20,220 --> 00:04:25,380 Yes, sir. Katie and I are now American citizens. We both don't have hearts. 73 00:04:25,380 --> 00:04:27,000 a woeful situation. It's terrible. 74 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,400 I mean, because I feel like we're not proper Americans. 75 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:30,600 We can fix that. 76 00:04:30,860 --> 00:04:33,540 Do you know anything about hats, my friend? I know my hat size. 77 00:04:34,580 --> 00:04:35,580 Which will be? 78 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:36,720 Seven and three quarters. 79 00:04:37,620 --> 00:04:41,580 Really? Yeah. That's quite a large hat, sir. I'm Scottish. We've got very big 80 00:04:41,580 --> 00:04:42,580 heads. Here. 81 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:48,020 Silver belly. Silver belly. I feel that's more my speed. Bow in the back. 82 00:04:48,020 --> 00:04:49,020 is great. 83 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:51,280 Yeah, I like it. That makes me feel good. 84 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,420 It looks great. Now we have to get you a hat. 85 00:04:54,170 --> 00:04:56,250 Oh, that's good. That's very sexy. 86 00:04:56,670 --> 00:04:57,690 Let me just get on my side and talk about it. 87 00:04:58,490 --> 00:05:02,350 Hey, let's pretend that we're riding the range. Yeah. Yeah, right. Boat back. 88 00:05:02,930 --> 00:05:05,910 So tell me how you got here. Well, the story goes. 89 00:05:08,310 --> 00:05:13,950 My dad was a physicist and he got a sabbatical to UCLA in California when I 90 00:05:13,950 --> 00:05:17,690 four. In LA? When you were four, do you remember it? And I had a completely 91 00:05:17,690 --> 00:05:20,370 American accent, like valley girl accent. 92 00:05:20,670 --> 00:05:23,530 Shut up. I was like Cher from Clueless. 93 00:05:23,930 --> 00:05:27,810 Wow. There's, like, my dad made little recordings and there's me going, I want 94 00:05:27,810 --> 00:05:28,810 drink of water. 95 00:05:29,210 --> 00:05:32,830 That's so bizarre. Yeah. I had no idea about that. And so my first memories are 96 00:05:32,830 --> 00:05:33,830 California. 97 00:05:34,010 --> 00:05:39,370 And it's, like, grape flavour and orange trees and swimming pools and sunshine 98 00:05:39,370 --> 00:05:43,530 at Christmas. So it kind of imprinted on me. But I just always wanted to get 99 00:05:43,530 --> 00:05:49,050 here. I think becoming a citizen is different from living here. 100 00:05:49,330 --> 00:05:51,870 I remember the ceremony and just... 101 00:05:52,730 --> 00:05:56,730 kind of getting an idea of the commitment of it. Yeah. Just going, you 102 00:05:56,730 --> 00:06:01,350 give up your allegiance to any other nation. Right. And you would bear arms. 103 00:06:01,530 --> 00:06:03,230 You'd bear arms, yeah. And I was like, wait, what? 104 00:06:03,530 --> 00:06:05,170 You probably don't want me to. 105 00:06:05,830 --> 00:06:08,370 Yeah, look, there's probably a better option. 106 00:06:08,610 --> 00:06:11,150 But you do feel... It feels serious. 107 00:06:11,390 --> 00:06:15,850 Yeah. And you end up feeling proud and protected. 108 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:17,419 Yes, protective. 109 00:06:17,420 --> 00:06:23,700 And I think that also when you come from outside into America as a country, it 110 00:06:23,700 --> 00:06:25,680 is this incredible experiment. 111 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:31,920 I know. And you really understand that nowhere else on the planet is willing to 112 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:33,180 try this experiment. 113 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:33,959 I know. 114 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:40,920 You and I coming here and deciding to take part is part of what it's 115 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:44,920 becoming. It's an ongoing thing. It's an ongoing, constantly changing. 116 00:06:45,980 --> 00:06:50,020 experience right and we try and do it the best we can what is that is that old 117 00:06:50,020 --> 00:06:53,540 line is it is the mark of civilization of someone that would plant a tree in 118 00:06:53,540 --> 00:06:57,360 full knowledge of knowing they would never sit in the shade of it yeah 119 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:02,960 feel very lucky so many people would love to be american and they can't do it 120 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:08,060 know people have died Yeah. Many people died today trying to get this. Yeah. And 121 00:07:08,060 --> 00:07:12,200 I've got it in my hand and I've done it and it's a big deal. It is a big deal. 122 00:07:12,260 --> 00:07:15,540 It's a huge deal to become an American. Glad you did it too. Yeah, I am too. 123 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:17,160 Okay, maybe time we mosey along. 124 00:07:17,500 --> 00:07:20,400 Hey! Oh my God, I feel like I've been in the saddle all day. 125 00:07:21,060 --> 00:07:22,540 Calamity Jane over here. Yeah, yeah. 126 00:07:22,860 --> 00:07:25,620 Who would I be then if you were Calamity Jane? You'd be Billy the Kid or 127 00:07:25,620 --> 00:07:29,840 something. Nah, not Billy the Kid. I'd be the ancient Bob or something. 128 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:36,500 No, I'd be the guy. Say, they're coming in here and shooting all around. I think 129 00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:39,620 I saw them. I don't know. They went that way. 130 00:07:45,159 --> 00:07:47,940 Where are you from? Mexico. I was born in Mexico. I was born in Colombia. 131 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:53,020 My father's side is a lot of Scottish. Oh, okay. Yes. Sorry about that. I 132 00:07:53,020 --> 00:07:54,980 appreciate it. German. 133 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:56,179 He's from Mexico. 134 00:07:56,180 --> 00:08:00,560 And I have some Japanese, too. My parents are from Rwanda. I'm adopted 135 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,120 Philippines. I'm Liberian. From Colombia. And then on my mother's side, 136 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:09,000 And German, but also Irish as well. Okay, so you're kind of a control freak 137 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,320 who's a drunk and a little bit impolite in restaurants. 138 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:13,860 I try to keep it on the low key for the drunk part, yeah. 139 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,360 There's more opportunities here in the U .S., for sure, than Colombia. 140 00:08:17,700 --> 00:08:21,280 I believe that's really American to have the opportunity of a better life. 141 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:26,620 When I come here, the door is open, you know. I was able to become something 142 00:08:26,620 --> 00:08:28,580 that I don't think I would have had the opportunity to. 143 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:29,800 What did you become? 144 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:30,719 An engineer. 145 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:35,740 Do your family, do they have contact with... Your family back in Liberia and 146 00:08:35,740 --> 00:08:39,100 Rwanda? Yeah, I was in Liberia last year. Oh, yeah? Did you like it? 147 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,380 No. You wanted to come back to America? 148 00:08:41,580 --> 00:08:42,900 I did. I wanted Chick -fil -A. 149 00:08:44,860 --> 00:08:48,240 So they don't have Chick -fil -A in Liberia? No, just rice. 150 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:50,280 Yeah. 151 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:51,439 We're good? 152 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,020 Ladies, thank you so much. 153 00:08:57,860 --> 00:09:02,200 When I came to America, I was young and full of passion. 154 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,760 Passion was the name of a cheap peach -flavoured vodka in the 1980s. Surprise, 155 00:09:06,900 --> 00:09:07,900 surprise! 156 00:09:08,140 --> 00:09:12,620 Back home, I'd been doing stand -up, music and acting for a while, but I 157 00:09:12,620 --> 00:09:17,080 knew if I wanted to be an artist, to really do it, then America was the place 158 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:21,980 for me, because, in my opinion, America gives you the best shot to take your 159 00:09:21,980 --> 00:09:23,800 passion and turn it into success. 160 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,920 That's passion the passion, not passion the peach vodka. No -one's getting 161 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:29,460 successful while on peach vodka. 162 00:09:32,490 --> 00:09:36,490 So, Craig, what are you doing in Miami? I hear you asking, your adorable 163 00:09:36,490 --> 00:09:37,490 Scottish accent. 164 00:09:37,710 --> 00:09:40,830 I mean, besides walking around like a total boss. 165 00:09:41,250 --> 00:09:42,710 Yeah, sup, fellas? 166 00:09:43,190 --> 00:09:47,190 I'm here to do art. I have to express my feelings after those kids stole my 167 00:09:47,190 --> 00:09:48,570 jacket. What's his name? 168 00:09:48,890 --> 00:09:50,070 That's my name, Seafoam. 169 00:09:50,610 --> 00:09:54,430 Seafoam. I love it. Now we have to paint over it. Oh, I'm going to, yeah. Right, 170 00:09:54,430 --> 00:09:55,389 right, right. 171 00:09:55,390 --> 00:10:00,410 And to help inspire two big stars from Miami's electric street art scene. 172 00:10:04,010 --> 00:10:05,350 Golden and Dissum. 173 00:10:06,030 --> 00:10:10,210 Like me, both of these gentlemen came to America to follow their artistic 174 00:10:10,210 --> 00:10:12,450 dreams. Is this for the 250? 175 00:10:12,670 --> 00:10:14,610 Yes, sir. Ah, I love it. Very nice. 176 00:10:14,910 --> 00:10:16,050 Thank you. It's very nice. 177 00:10:17,790 --> 00:10:22,850 Dissum and Golden are just like me, except cooler, I will admit. But just 178 00:10:22,850 --> 00:10:27,710 me, they felt in order to thrive as artists and as people, they had to get 179 00:10:27,710 --> 00:10:31,310 America. I was born in Venezuela. Yeah. Did you come here when you were a kid? 180 00:10:31,510 --> 00:10:32,510 Yeah. 181 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,220 didn't understood why I was like that. 182 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:04,500 I remember when I was like 12, I came to New York and I see these two cops 183 00:11:04,500 --> 00:11:08,760 standing in the door of the airplane with tattoos and piercings. 184 00:11:09,300 --> 00:11:12,720 And I've been fighting for two years with my family for this. I'm like, then 185 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,100 knew I was just born at the wrong place. 186 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:20,080 You know? You belong in a different place. I'm going to move here one day 187 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:24,440 because I felt like I could be me. My mother and my father met at an art 188 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:25,700 university in Panama. 189 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:30,600 and i have artists on both sides of the family um from then on it we had the 190 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:34,660 we're in panama we had the invasion of panama right following that you know 191 00:11:34,660 --> 00:11:38,440 leaving all that you know the war pretty much you know we ended up coming over 192 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,940 here to the us so do you think in central america or in south america that 193 00:11:42,940 --> 00:11:47,700 be able to to be the artist you are now not in my country no yeah maybe in 194 00:11:47,700 --> 00:11:51,860 another country but not not there the land of the free right it's been built 195 00:11:51,860 --> 00:11:53,960 immigrants and you know i mean i personally 196 00:11:54,790 --> 00:11:59,910 I'm proud of being an immigrant, you know, and being a positive influence, 197 00:11:59,910 --> 00:12:03,150 know. In America more than anywhere else in the world, we're allowed to express 198 00:12:03,150 --> 00:12:04,210 ourselves freely, right? 199 00:12:05,050 --> 00:12:08,350 Street art is just like regular art, except it's outdoors. 200 00:12:08,790 --> 00:12:11,970 You are, like, good with your cat and the brozo. That's it, Golden, you got 201 00:12:11,970 --> 00:12:13,730 another assistant, bro. I know, you're higher. 202 00:12:14,490 --> 00:12:15,670 Seven bucks an hour. 203 00:12:15,930 --> 00:12:17,410 $7 .25, $7 .25. 204 00:12:18,410 --> 00:12:20,010 It's al fresco fresco. 205 00:12:20,630 --> 00:12:21,630 That's pretty good. 206 00:12:22,110 --> 00:12:26,590 When people see a dog in a building, it's like they see it like something 207 00:12:26,590 --> 00:12:31,190 simple, but that is someone that focuses their life into that. 208 00:12:31,550 --> 00:12:33,870 That's why it looks so fresh, so stylish. 209 00:12:34,150 --> 00:12:37,750 Like the first thing you write is your name or a penis. 210 00:12:38,130 --> 00:12:39,810 You know, like that's what you do. You're a child. 211 00:12:40,270 --> 00:12:44,350 But then you learn. I like that you said, because that's the first thing I 212 00:12:44,350 --> 00:12:45,329 was a penis. 213 00:12:45,330 --> 00:12:46,510 That's the first thing I've ever done. 214 00:12:46,810 --> 00:12:48,890 The first thing you draw is a penis. 215 00:12:49,730 --> 00:12:51,070 Now we're going to do some scraping. 216 00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:54,460 All right, let's give the painting a try. All right. You see this line? Yeah. 217 00:12:55,460 --> 00:12:56,460 Angle it up. 218 00:12:59,540 --> 00:13:00,459 That worked. 219 00:13:00,460 --> 00:13:04,260 I feel like I look at it, and all I can see is this line sticking out of it. 220 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,880 Step back. A lot of times, especially when you're at a wall, you've got to 221 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:08,880 back and look at it. 222 00:13:09,130 --> 00:13:12,830 you know what it's okay yeah i feel like it's all right i think it's cool man 223 00:13:12,830 --> 00:13:16,590 yeah i feel like it gave a little give a little thing this is my i did this now 224 00:13:16,590 --> 00:13:21,530 yeah it's a collaboration with graffiti art in particular i think it's such an 225 00:13:21,530 --> 00:13:24,650 american form of art because it starts like it starts out like you're a bunch 226 00:13:24,650 --> 00:13:27,430 outlaws like you're the founding fathers you're sure it's a revolution 227 00:13:27,430 --> 00:13:31,030 everybody's like oh these guys are bad and it's all going to end badly and then 228 00:13:31,030 --> 00:13:35,370 slowly over time it becomes this multi -billion dollar business changes the 229 00:13:35,370 --> 00:13:36,370 whole world 230 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:46,200 I love it. 231 00:13:46,580 --> 00:13:49,460 Let me just do something for you down here. I'll just do you one of these. 232 00:13:52,300 --> 00:13:53,300 Oh, no. 233 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:54,600 Yeah! 234 00:13:54,780 --> 00:13:55,780 That's a keeper. 235 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:58,980 You know what? We've got to leave that on there. I'm on it. 236 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:02,880 That's funny, man. 237 00:14:09,740 --> 00:14:14,580 Like a lot of Americans, my entry point to this country was New York City, and 238 00:14:14,580 --> 00:14:15,479 that is important. 239 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:20,540 To me it was important anyway, because New York is so diverse, so 240 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:22,380 but it's also unique. 241 00:14:22,740 --> 00:14:28,360 The exotic smell of pee, hot dogs and weed cannot be replicated anywhere else 242 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:29,360 this planet. 243 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,300 New York has an iconoclast spirit. 244 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,820 That's a fancy way of saying, Hey, I'm walking here. 245 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:37,880 I know it was that way for me. 246 00:14:38,700 --> 00:14:41,920 And I know it was that way for my friend, Salman Rushdie. 247 00:14:42,620 --> 00:14:47,820 Salman has faced down lunatic attacks and attempted murder for his iconoclast 248 00:14:47,820 --> 00:14:52,440 spirit. So it's only natural that he would end up being an American. 249 00:14:53,180 --> 00:14:56,980 This is your funniest and most beautiful book. Well, thank you. It really is. 250 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:01,520 Salman's latest book, The Eleventh Hour, is a collection of short stories, one 251 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:02,760 of which is called Oklahoma. 252 00:15:03,580 --> 00:15:07,940 America holds a kind of almost mythical quality in the story Oklahoma. 253 00:15:08,260 --> 00:15:09,880 It has this mysterious unfolding. 254 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:14,300 Have you been to Oklahoma? I have been. In fact, I had a nice experience in 255 00:15:14,300 --> 00:15:16,460 Oklahoma. I've always had a nice time in Oklahoma. 256 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:20,820 New York for me is almost equivalent to what I think about as America. 257 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,460 Because I'm a big city boy. Yes. 258 00:15:25,060 --> 00:15:27,220 I'm not really a countryside guy. 259 00:15:27,630 --> 00:15:31,730 No, I don't think of you as that. Have you ever been on a horse? I have been on 260 00:15:31,730 --> 00:15:33,490 a horse. I was mostly terrified. 261 00:15:34,230 --> 00:15:39,010 I fell in love with the idea of America long before I ever came to America. 262 00:15:39,230 --> 00:15:40,250 Yeah, me too, yeah. 263 00:15:40,550 --> 00:15:45,290 All of us new Americans have an idea about America before we ever get here. 264 00:15:45,470 --> 00:15:51,190 Everyone has a vision and an opinion about the United States, even if they 265 00:15:51,190 --> 00:15:55,630 get here. It's because we are not just a country, we are an idea. 266 00:15:56,220 --> 00:15:59,840 How did it shape up to the real thing? Because you, like me, became a citizen, 267 00:16:00,060 --> 00:16:05,340 right? Well, the thing that America began to be equivalent in my mind to me 268 00:16:05,340 --> 00:16:06,079 New York City. 269 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:09,300 Right. What I like about it is its incredible diversity. 270 00:16:09,660 --> 00:16:14,060 Yeah. I remember when the Soccer World Cup was here in America. 271 00:16:14,580 --> 00:16:19,260 You would walk down, like, Flatbush Avenue, and you would go past bars, and 272 00:16:19,260 --> 00:16:22,700 there'd be, like, the Croatian bar, and then there'd be the Brazilian bar, the 273 00:16:22,700 --> 00:16:25,180 Nigerian bar, full of Americans. 274 00:16:25,850 --> 00:16:28,970 cheering for all their different countries of origin. 275 00:16:29,210 --> 00:16:34,370 Right, right. One of the reasons that I'm here living in America is because of 276 00:16:34,370 --> 00:16:35,830 my admiration for the First Amendment. 277 00:16:36,110 --> 00:16:39,630 Yeah. I think that's an amazing thing to put in your Constitution. 278 00:16:39,970 --> 00:16:45,530 Yeah. The freedom of speech, the freedom of assembly, the freedom of belief. 279 00:16:45,770 --> 00:16:48,290 There's no other country that puts that in the Constitution. 280 00:16:48,770 --> 00:16:49,770 I know. 281 00:16:49,870 --> 00:16:51,330 And the pursuit of happiness. 282 00:16:51,650 --> 00:16:54,610 And I think immigrants come to a country because they want to be there. Yeah. 283 00:16:54,990 --> 00:16:57,110 I mean, if you're born in America, you don't have the choice. 284 00:16:57,410 --> 00:17:01,810 It is what it is. But some of us make the choice to come here, and that has to 285 00:17:01,810 --> 00:17:02,910 be an optimistic act. 286 00:17:04,990 --> 00:17:09,290 It is an act of optimism to become an American. You're trying to put aside old 287 00:17:09,290 --> 00:17:14,270 ideas and start afresh. For example, how can the English and Irish and the 288 00:17:14,270 --> 00:17:17,770 Scottish ever get along, even in the new world? 289 00:17:18,089 --> 00:17:20,750 Well, obviously, the safest place would be a bar. 290 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:24,839 Matt Gilbert and Scott Walker are newly minted Americans. 291 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:29,160 I met them for a drink when they were celebrating in that understated British 292 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:30,160 way. 293 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:37,540 So, an Englishman, a sort of Irishman, and a Scotsman go into a 294 00:17:37,540 --> 00:17:38,640 bar, right? 295 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:44,000 This is the party for you, who are now a proud American citizen. 296 00:17:44,360 --> 00:17:45,560 How long have you been a citizen? 297 00:17:45,860 --> 00:17:46,599 About two weeks. 298 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:47,600 How long have you been here? 299 00:17:48,969 --> 00:17:49,969 Since 2019. 300 00:17:50,210 --> 00:17:52,290 Do you miss the chicken shops of South London? 301 00:17:52,490 --> 00:17:56,450 No. You sat the test already, right? Yeah. Did you do well? I mean, clearly 302 00:17:56,450 --> 00:17:58,250 did well enough. How did you do? 303 00:17:58,530 --> 00:18:01,250 I did okay, but I did mine in 2008. 304 00:18:01,630 --> 00:18:02,710 I became a citizen. 305 00:18:02,950 --> 00:18:05,950 The test was pretty much the three branches of government. They asked about 306 00:18:05,950 --> 00:18:07,350 that. Yeah, three branches of government. 307 00:18:07,590 --> 00:18:12,030 I think the toughest one I asked was if the president wasn't going to be the 308 00:18:12,030 --> 00:18:13,970 president anymore or the vice president. 309 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:16,780 isn't a president anymore. Who's going to be the president? 310 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:18,460 Right. And what did you put? 311 00:18:18,780 --> 00:18:19,900 The leader of the house. 312 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:24,960 Right. I put George Clooney. George Clooney. There you go. I figured that 313 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,980 good one because everybody likes George Clooney. What made you want to be a 314 00:18:27,980 --> 00:18:33,100 citizen? For me, it was the ability to vote. 315 00:18:33,620 --> 00:18:36,800 The right to vote. Yeah. It was a big deal for me. 316 00:18:37,020 --> 00:18:40,320 Also, I couldn't do my job in London. 317 00:18:40,940 --> 00:18:42,460 So what you're telling me is opportunity. 318 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:45,340 Opportunity. And the right to participate in government. 319 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:48,380 Yeah. Also, like, our American dream is different. 320 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,060 You know, we're white men, aren't we? So it's, like, kind of a lot easier. 321 00:18:52,260 --> 00:18:55,260 How will you, as a new American citizen, go about changing that? 322 00:18:57,490 --> 00:18:59,730 fighting, and I think that's the main thing. 323 00:19:00,570 --> 00:19:04,610 Participating in democracy, which is what we want to do. That's how I felt, 324 00:19:04,610 --> 00:19:07,950 I remember coming here and everyone was so cool, and it was just normal, so 325 00:19:07,950 --> 00:19:11,830 normalised that you could just do all these things, and that was very 326 00:19:11,830 --> 00:19:15,970 to me. I feel that's the spirit of the place, and that's why I've always been 327 00:19:15,970 --> 00:19:19,330 very adamant that I feel that New York is a distillation almost of America, 328 00:19:19,470 --> 00:19:23,330 because it takes all those artistic and personal freedoms. 329 00:19:24,580 --> 00:19:26,680 extrapolate them into this mad city. Yeah. 330 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,300 Sometimes I'm just wandering around. I'll be in the most touristy place. I'm 331 00:19:30,300 --> 00:19:31,300 like, this is incredible. 332 00:19:31,340 --> 00:19:34,120 Yeah. Like, you know, I take it for granted. No time to swear. 333 00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:41,280 I'm going through Times Square the other day and a kid came 334 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,720 over to me and he was trying to give me some pamphlet or something like that. 335 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,620 Oh, yeah. Bullshitting me. I said, do I look like I'm from out of town? And he 336 00:19:47,620 --> 00:19:50,560 said, I'm not kidding. He said, no, you look like you're a dick. 337 00:19:53,930 --> 00:19:57,370 While it's fun to spend a little time with these new citizens, it's 338 00:19:57,370 --> 00:20:00,930 to remember that not everyone who became American had a choice. 339 00:20:01,130 --> 00:20:06,330 I chose to come to America, as did many others, but obviously that's not the 340 00:20:06,330 --> 00:20:07,049 whole story. 341 00:20:07,050 --> 00:20:11,950 This country also belongs to the descendants of those who did not choose 342 00:20:12,570 --> 00:20:17,470 Enslaved Africans forcibly brought here, and Native Americans who were forced 343 00:20:17,470 --> 00:20:19,010 from their ancestral territory. 344 00:20:19,730 --> 00:20:21,870 Out of that painful history... 345 00:20:22,140 --> 00:20:26,080 comes the resilience and diversity that still shapes who we are today. 346 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:30,080 If we ignore that part of the story, we're not telling all of it. 347 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,800 It's part of who we are as Americans. 348 00:20:36,140 --> 00:20:40,360 What's the most American thing you can think of right now? My grandfather came 349 00:20:40,360 --> 00:20:41,360 to me from Ecuador. 350 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:47,600 To him, it was a cheeseburger and a Ford Mustang, being able to work and 351 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:49,900 send his kids to schools. 352 00:20:50,780 --> 00:20:53,200 you know, and have, like, better opportunity for them. 353 00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:55,840 One thing that I think about America is freedom. 354 00:20:56,140 --> 00:21:00,200 Also the dream, American dream. What is the American dream? You can work hard 355 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:04,080 and achieve your goal. What do you think the American dream is? 356 00:21:04,620 --> 00:21:08,040 The ability to embrace your aspirations. 357 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:13,880 Be happy. Be happy? Yes. Be happy, build your own future on your own way. 358 00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:15,120 I ran a marathon. 359 00:21:15,180 --> 00:21:16,380 Oh, you ran. 360 00:21:16,620 --> 00:21:19,660 Congratulations. The American dream. What does it look like to you? 361 00:21:20,220 --> 00:21:24,900 I think just having the opportunity and options to do whatever you want to do, 362 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,420 whether it's running a marathon in New York City. 363 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:30,640 Freedom of religion, freedom of choice, just everything. 364 00:21:30,980 --> 00:21:32,860 Freedom. You can be yourself. Yeah, I guess. 365 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:38,460 I think I can smell someone enjoying their freedom. Yeah, yeah, right now. I 366 00:21:38,460 --> 00:21:40,200 smell it. Yeah, it's happening. 367 00:21:48,340 --> 00:21:53,880 In 1975, I came to America for the first time. My dad and I got a cheap flight 368 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:57,760 from the old country to visit my uncle James and his family on Long Island. 369 00:21:58,100 --> 00:22:03,360 On this trip, I went to a bowling alley, and for the first time, I tasted root 370 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:07,800 beer over crushed ice, and I smelled the aroma of rented shoes. 371 00:22:08,420 --> 00:22:14,220 To this day, the taste of root beer and the smell of feet still mean freedom to 372 00:22:14,220 --> 00:22:15,220 me. 373 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:24,560 Do you know how to vote? 374 00:22:24,660 --> 00:22:26,820 I do. On you go, then. All right, let's do this. All right. 375 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:32,640 Those pillars of democracy, foot smell and root beer, were also a beacon for 376 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:37,980 Abdi Noor Iftin when he dreamed of escaping the vicious civil war in 377 00:22:37,980 --> 00:22:42,220 the teeth -chattering freedom of Maine, the way life should be. 378 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,300 He's now a proud American and the best -selling author of the book Call Me 379 00:22:47,300 --> 00:22:49,740 American, a memoir detailing his journey. 380 00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:51,920 When you become an American... 381 00:22:52,190 --> 00:22:54,350 Some things, like patriotism, come quickly. 382 00:22:54,770 --> 00:22:59,330 Other things, like bowling, as you're about to see, take a little longer. 383 00:23:00,430 --> 00:23:01,770 There you go. That's it. 384 00:23:03,470 --> 00:23:07,770 That's not bad, I guess. Yeah, yeah. You have to knock that one down now, don't 385 00:23:07,770 --> 00:23:08,770 you? 386 00:23:08,850 --> 00:23:11,750 There you go. That makes me feel more comfortable. 387 00:23:13,730 --> 00:23:14,730 No! 388 00:23:15,150 --> 00:23:16,150 Oh, boy. 389 00:23:16,670 --> 00:23:19,950 How did you get into American football coaching? There was a woman. 390 00:23:20,700 --> 00:23:24,100 In our neighborhood, she ran a little movie theater. 391 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:30,180 We sat on the dark floor. We watched action films continuously because the 392 00:23:30,180 --> 00:23:32,240 only had seven films. 393 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:33,640 What were the movies? Do you remember? 394 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:35,840 Commando. Right. Rambo. 395 00:23:36,260 --> 00:23:37,320 The Terminator. 396 00:23:37,660 --> 00:23:40,760 Just what you want when you're a kid with PTSD and a war zone. Yeah, yeah, 397 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:44,180 exactly. But actually, it was pretty good entertainment. 398 00:23:45,220 --> 00:23:48,700 We're sitting in the movie theater, and we were playing a quiz. 399 00:23:49,130 --> 00:23:51,730 What did he say, you know, when Arnold says, I'll be back? 400 00:23:52,250 --> 00:23:54,130 Because, of course, you don't speak English. 401 00:23:54,350 --> 00:23:58,410 We did not. That's how we learned it. Is that the first idea of you wanting to 402 00:23:58,410 --> 00:24:02,810 come to America with these movies, these guys? That is where the window cracked 403 00:24:02,810 --> 00:24:05,870 open. I was like, I want to go there. 404 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:10,000 So you learned English from Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger? 405 00:24:10,580 --> 00:24:13,940 You speak English a lot better than Sylvester Stallone and Arnold 406 00:24:13,940 --> 00:24:14,940 Schwarzenegger. Don't I? Yes. 407 00:24:15,180 --> 00:24:19,700 Better than both of those guys. I agree. But the good thing is they spoke, they 408 00:24:19,700 --> 00:24:22,380 said a few words. Right. So there's a little bit of time. 409 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:25,280 Exactly. I wasn't a journalist professionally. 410 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:30,360 As soon as I spoke some English, I started recording secret audio diaries 411 00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:32,560 Somalia that could get me killed. 412 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:35,440 So it was extremely dangerous. 413 00:24:36,250 --> 00:24:39,290 move that I had to do so that the world hears. 414 00:24:39,670 --> 00:24:45,190 All of my audio diaries were actually aired by a radio station based in North 415 00:24:45,190 --> 00:24:46,910 Carolina. Then so many people started. 416 00:24:47,450 --> 00:24:49,630 I had no idea you were such a badass. 417 00:24:50,150 --> 00:24:53,870 I didn't have any choice. It's just like I die or I do something, you know. 418 00:24:54,590 --> 00:24:55,590 That's crazy. 419 00:24:55,770 --> 00:24:56,770 It was either of those. 420 00:24:56,930 --> 00:25:01,450 I became the storyteller to the American, but it was a long way from. 421 00:25:02,010 --> 00:25:05,310 Coming to this country, I had no idea if I would ever do that. Why are you so 422 00:25:05,310 --> 00:25:08,130 fixated on coming to the United States? 423 00:25:08,530 --> 00:25:12,230 Because I really wanted to be a full human. 424 00:25:12,510 --> 00:25:17,270 For example, in Somalia, no schooling, no hospital, no clinic, nothing like 425 00:25:17,270 --> 00:25:19,230 that. If you get injured, you might die bleeding. 426 00:25:19,450 --> 00:25:24,110 I have friends who died like that. And I kept thinking, I need to be someone who 427 00:25:24,110 --> 00:25:28,730 has rights and freedom and access to the basic things. 428 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:30,400 How did you arrive? 429 00:25:30,780 --> 00:25:32,220 There's this lottery system. 430 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,100 Yeah. It's called the Visa Lottery. This is like the golden ticket. Like 431 00:25:36,100 --> 00:25:37,660 literally the... Literally, yeah. 432 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:40,780 There's no other way that I can get to the U .S. other than this. 433 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:43,980 There was a pretty good chance that I could get denied. 434 00:25:44,420 --> 00:25:45,800 Even with the golden ticket? 435 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,340 Well, yeah. Guess how many people apply for this golden ticket? I don't know. 20 436 00:25:49,340 --> 00:25:51,500 million. 20 million? Every year. 437 00:25:51,980 --> 00:25:55,660 And how many get them? The U .S. State Department only has 50 ,000 visas 438 00:25:55,660 --> 00:25:56,660 available. 439 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:58,000 For 20 million applications? 440 00:25:58,700 --> 00:25:59,679 That's green. 441 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:00,680 It is. 442 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:04,220 All right, me to go first. Let's do this. 443 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:11,280 Yeah! 444 00:26:15,940 --> 00:26:16,940 Beat that. 445 00:26:17,060 --> 00:26:21,760 For Abdi, getting into the U .S. was a dream that required an incredible amount 446 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:22,760 of luck. 447 00:26:23,060 --> 00:26:25,020 Coincidentally, so does my bowling game. 448 00:26:25,820 --> 00:26:27,200 Undo that. There you go. 449 00:26:27,980 --> 00:26:29,880 This is fun. We're evenly matched. 450 00:26:31,740 --> 00:26:32,900 How did you get here? 451 00:26:33,180 --> 00:26:37,460 Because it was a visa lottery program, the government wouldn't help at all. 452 00:26:37,660 --> 00:26:42,380 Right. I had to go to a family who heard my story on the radio. Yeah. They got 453 00:26:42,380 --> 00:26:46,520 involved in supporting my process to come to the United States. They live in 454 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:47,980 Maine, and now they become my family. 455 00:26:48,180 --> 00:26:50,780 So if you're wondering, why do you spend your time sleeping on Christmas? That's 456 00:26:50,780 --> 00:26:52,500 where I am. That's great, though, man. 457 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:54,500 I'm so pleased to hear that. 458 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:57,560 We've talked to a lot of people about freedom. 459 00:26:57,950 --> 00:26:59,730 What does that look like for you, the idea of freedom? 460 00:27:00,030 --> 00:27:06,870 In this country, if I wake up tomorrow and decide to drive my own car from 461 00:27:06,870 --> 00:27:11,730 Maine and head all the way to the other end of this country, I can do that. 462 00:27:11,850 --> 00:27:14,610 Freedom for you is being able to go where you want. 463 00:27:15,090 --> 00:27:16,090 Choices. Absolutely. 464 00:27:16,350 --> 00:27:19,210 I think freedom hits different when you come from my background. 465 00:27:19,430 --> 00:27:24,450 That I can appreciate each mile that I drive knowing that I can do that. 466 00:27:25,070 --> 00:27:25,769 It's amazing. 467 00:27:25,770 --> 00:27:27,650 To me, it's more than a vacation. 468 00:27:27,950 --> 00:27:29,630 It's freedom. 469 00:27:30,050 --> 00:27:31,210 Freedom. Absolutely. 470 00:27:31,470 --> 00:27:32,470 Literally. Yeah. 471 00:27:34,310 --> 00:27:35,310 Yes, he said. 472 00:27:35,430 --> 00:27:38,570 You still win. You need 21 points for the game. 473 00:27:39,890 --> 00:27:40,890 Two strikes. 474 00:27:41,310 --> 00:27:42,310 All right. 475 00:27:44,330 --> 00:27:48,390 Okay, you can technically still get another strike. 476 00:27:50,570 --> 00:27:51,570 Oh, no. 477 00:27:52,430 --> 00:27:53,430 Oh, no. 478 00:27:54,730 --> 00:27:56,570 Get another roll, yeah. All right. 479 00:28:00,910 --> 00:28:02,230 Oh, no! 480 00:28:02,950 --> 00:28:04,910 Oh, look at that. 481 00:28:05,330 --> 00:28:07,650 Yeah. All right. 482 00:28:07,990 --> 00:28:12,890 Now, Abdi and I both suck at bowling, which is our right as Americans. We're 483 00:28:12,890 --> 00:28:17,050 free, except from harsh judgment by the chodes of the internet. 484 00:28:23,660 --> 00:28:28,580 You have to understand, in 1975, getting from Scotland to America was like 485 00:28:28,580 --> 00:28:30,360 getting from America to the moon. 486 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:32,080 It was a different world. 487 00:28:32,300 --> 00:28:37,840 One small step for a man, one giant leap for a wee fat Scottish boy. 488 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,600 Mike Massimino is a former NASA astronaut. 489 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,040 He helped fix the Hubble telescope twice. 490 00:28:53,550 --> 00:28:55,990 and set a record for the longest spacewalk on a mission. 491 00:28:56,770 --> 00:29:01,950 He also comes from an immigrant family with very humble beginnings, and yet he 492 00:29:01,950 --> 00:29:05,490 still found his way from Long Island, New York, to outer space. 493 00:29:05,790 --> 00:29:10,310 To me, an astronaut is still one of the most American jobs there is. 494 00:29:10,530 --> 00:29:14,870 Mike and I are at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, where we're talking 495 00:29:14,870 --> 00:29:18,990 about what it means to have the guts to go to space, or the guts to immigrate to 496 00:29:18,990 --> 00:29:19,990 America. 497 00:29:20,620 --> 00:29:22,980 Your second name's Massimino. Yes. 498 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:24,560 So I'm thinking Italian. 499 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:31,100 Yes. Your grandparents came here? Yeah, all four of my grandparents immigrated 500 00:29:31,100 --> 00:29:35,780 in the early part of the 20th century, all from Sicily. The American dream for 501 00:29:35,780 --> 00:29:41,600 them is come here, bear life, raise your family. It wasn't necessarily for them. 502 00:29:42,190 --> 00:29:44,210 I think they did it for their future generations. 503 00:29:44,470 --> 00:29:45,470 Which you are. 504 00:29:45,510 --> 00:29:49,530 And that's what I think it was all about. They came here with the 505 00:29:49,530 --> 00:29:53,010 a better life for future generations. You go from Sicily to space. 506 00:29:53,210 --> 00:29:56,530 Yeah. Two generations. Yeah, quite amazing. I mean, that's unbelievable. 507 00:29:56,530 --> 00:29:57,530 I are the same age, right? 508 00:29:57,750 --> 00:29:58,669 Yeah, exactly. 509 00:29:58,670 --> 00:30:02,110 Yeah, like a month apart, I think. So we watched the moon landing when we were 510 00:30:02,110 --> 00:30:04,630 kids. I remember watching it. Do you remember watching it? Oh, absolutely. 511 00:30:04,930 --> 00:30:05,930 It changed my life. 512 00:30:06,230 --> 00:30:07,850 It definitely changed my life. 513 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,960 Growing up in Scotland in the 60s and 70s meant growing up between two 514 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:17,740 superpowers in the middle of the greatest pitting contest in human 515 00:30:17,740 --> 00:30:18,740 Cold War. 516 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,460 And nothing said Cold War like the Space Race. 517 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,880 Wait, I feel we can do better. Let's do it again. 518 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:30,760 The Space Race! 519 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:33,320 There you go. 520 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:40,720 The US and the Soviets went back and forth. Rockets, satellites, capsules, 521 00:30:40,980 --> 00:30:47,080 monkeys, Sputnik, the Vomit Comet, even a few ex -Nazis. Do you get to be an ex 522 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:51,240 -Nazi? I don't know if I feel that's true. Anyway, we both threw everything 523 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:52,500 could at cosmic dominance. 524 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:57,760 But in 1969, America hit a gut punch to those commie bastards. 525 00:30:58,580 --> 00:31:02,360 The moon landing. 526 00:31:03,860 --> 00:31:08,640 650 million people around the world watch the moon landing. That's like Katy 527 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:09,780 Perry's Instagram. 528 00:31:10,580 --> 00:31:16,020 This was a global calling card, a statement that American greatness was 529 00:31:16,020 --> 00:31:19,540 and that I could be part of it. At least that's how I saw it. 530 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:25,260 This is the face of a young man who is about to manifest his own destiny. 531 00:31:25,740 --> 00:31:30,140 When I saw that, I was six years old, you know, like as you were going on 532 00:31:30,140 --> 00:31:31,240 that summer of 69. 533 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,820 Even the build -up to it, you know, seeing those guys, they're just like, 534 00:31:34,820 --> 00:31:36,460 know, had the American flag on their arm. 535 00:31:36,660 --> 00:31:40,100 And they just, to me, symbolized everything that was good. 536 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:43,500 I wanted to be an American. I didn't think I could be an astronaut. 537 00:31:44,060 --> 00:31:47,460 Let me ask you something. Because those guys, the moon guys, the guys who walked 538 00:31:47,460 --> 00:31:52,300 on the moon, they commented that the feeling was, throughout the world, it 539 00:31:52,300 --> 00:31:56,180 an American accomplishment, but in a lot of other countries helped and 540 00:31:56,180 --> 00:31:59,260 participated. Did you see it that way? Did you feel like... 541 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:00,780 Oh, these are American. 542 00:32:00,980 --> 00:32:04,020 Oh, did you feel like it's... We're doing it. Do you know what, in Scotland, 543 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:07,340 what we were saying was, you know Armstrong's a Scottish name? 544 00:32:07,540 --> 00:32:12,280 Really? Armstrong's a Scottish name, aye. So basically, it's Scotland landing 545 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:15,360 the moon. You know, technically. We're all immigrants. Technically. It was a 546 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:19,100 about, you can't go directly to the moon from Scotland, you have to go to 547 00:32:19,100 --> 00:32:23,640 America first, which I think is still true. Maybe it's because America might 548 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:25,100 some way symbolise... 549 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:28,800 the whole world because everybody came from somewhere else well that's what i 550 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:32,420 think america i think america is a great accomplishment for humankind i mean 551 00:32:32,420 --> 00:32:36,600 look even now when people are still bleeding on about you know the problem 552 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:40,140 and that everybody's still trying to get here yeah you know yes 553 00:32:40,140 --> 00:32:45,520 your 554 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:52,240 family every immigrant 555 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:56,500 family which is like most of us you have to take those risks and those that 556 00:32:56,500 --> 00:33:02,240 becomes becomes part of the the american spirit right the the idea that we're 557 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:04,460 going to get on a boat and we're going to go to a country we've never seen 558 00:33:04,460 --> 00:33:08,180 before the whole family's going or just the kid is going they said goodbye and 559 00:33:08,180 --> 00:33:11,680 that was it you know they didn't go back but leaving that all behind with 560 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:15,040 whatever possessions you had and coming to a new place and that becomes part of 561 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:18,780 the spirit right because that in some ways i think pointing to the shuttle 562 00:33:18,780 --> 00:33:22,830 that's easier than what they did To take that risk, that was a true risk. And so 563 00:33:22,830 --> 00:33:27,190 that's the kind of people that came here, and I think as a result were able 564 00:33:27,190 --> 00:33:28,190 accomplish these things. 565 00:33:28,770 --> 00:33:29,770 It's amazing. 566 00:33:39,230 --> 00:33:43,210 As an immigrant from Europe, nothing is more emblematic of the journey to 567 00:33:43,210 --> 00:33:46,750 becoming an American than the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. 568 00:33:47,310 --> 00:33:52,290 Hi. Still have the gift shop plastic statue of liberty I got when I was a 569 00:33:52,550 --> 00:33:54,210 Here it is. Isn't that cool? 570 00:33:54,490 --> 00:33:55,710 I adore her. 571 00:33:55,970 --> 00:33:59,370 No, you can't have it. If I was going to give it to anyone, I'd give it to my 572 00:33:59,370 --> 00:34:00,850 dear friend Adriana. 573 00:34:01,130 --> 00:34:05,930 She is a second -generation Italian -American, a best -selling author and an 574 00:34:05,930 --> 00:34:10,350 acclaimed director and screenwriter whose work focuses on immigrants and 575 00:34:10,350 --> 00:34:16,889 descendants. She is also the 2025 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of 576 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:22,060 I can think of no better way to see that lady than with this lady, and have her 577 00:34:22,060 --> 00:34:24,440 show me... My God, are you so excited? 578 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:25,800 Yeah, a little bit. 579 00:34:27,179 --> 00:34:29,040 There she is. It's a hell of a thing. 580 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:30,058 Isn't it? 581 00:34:30,060 --> 00:34:33,340 Every morning, I go over to the water and I look at her. 582 00:34:33,620 --> 00:34:34,719 Every morning. 583 00:34:35,020 --> 00:34:38,100 It just reminds me, like, I'm so lucky I'm here at all. 584 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:43,020 My immigration story doesn't come through here, but it feels like it. How 585 00:34:43,020 --> 00:34:44,020 times have you done this? 586 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:46,639 Every time a cousin comes to town, I take him. 587 00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:48,280 I've never done that. 588 00:34:48,940 --> 00:34:49,940 No. No. 589 00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:51,860 Oh, my God, I get to show you everything. 590 00:34:59,460 --> 00:35:00,820 There's life in this place. 591 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:02,240 There's a new spirit. 592 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:03,640 Look at this. 593 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:06,220 This is what my grandparents saw. 594 00:35:06,980 --> 00:35:08,400 This is where they lined up. 595 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:10,280 Kills me. 596 00:35:10,380 --> 00:35:11,380 Kills me. 597 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:23,980 Between 1892 and 1952, over 12 million immigrants came through this 598 00:35:23,980 --> 00:35:30,160 place. In fact, 40 % of Americans today can trace their roots back to this 599 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:36,760 island. Megan, my wife, Megan's grandfather, Andrew Wallace Cunningham, 600 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:42,820 orphan in Edinburgh, and he came through here. 601 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:45,120 He's like a little kid. 602 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:48,060 Can you imagine the story that got him from Edinburgh in? 603 00:35:48,340 --> 00:35:52,700 Imagine being a street kid. And getting that idea that I've got to get to 604 00:35:52,700 --> 00:35:57,100 America. And to be a wee Scottish boy on your own. Oh, my God, all by yourself 605 00:35:57,100 --> 00:36:00,260 and just on that ship and just trying to make a friend. 606 00:36:00,860 --> 00:36:02,080 When do we eat? 607 00:36:02,300 --> 00:36:05,680 I'm in my 60s and I was kind of uncomfortable in the 10 -minute ride 608 00:36:05,680 --> 00:36:06,680 Manhattan. 609 00:36:07,940 --> 00:36:09,380 I was like, oh, it's cold. 610 00:36:09,700 --> 00:36:10,720 I need a sandwich. 611 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:19,720 I imagine my grandparents standing here. 612 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:21,820 That, like, says America to me. 613 00:36:22,220 --> 00:36:23,300 That's the future. 614 00:36:24,300 --> 00:36:27,960 Getting online for your family, for your future, for the children that are yet 615 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:28,960 unborn. 616 00:36:29,860 --> 00:36:34,900 And whoever was at that table, keep your name, change your name, misspell your 617 00:36:34,900 --> 00:36:36,940 name. That all happened in the air. 618 00:36:39,380 --> 00:36:41,900 And just imagine how they felt standing here. 619 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:43,500 It's a cathedral. 620 00:36:44,230 --> 00:36:49,530 Yes. It's not some empty promise. It's a cathedral to a real promise, an 621 00:36:49,530 --> 00:36:50,530 opportunity. 622 00:36:51,170 --> 00:36:52,069 Opportunity. Opportunity. 623 00:36:52,070 --> 00:36:53,070 Opportunity and ambition. 624 00:36:53,390 --> 00:36:56,410 If you work hard, man, you'll make it. There it is. 625 00:36:59,290 --> 00:37:00,290 That's America. 626 00:37:03,170 --> 00:37:04,190 What was the name? 627 00:37:04,550 --> 00:37:05,990 Bonicelli. Bonicelli. 628 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:10,560 And it's really a beautiful thing to just come and read the names because 629 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:16,320 there's a name, then there's a person and an identity and a place in history. 630 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:17,460 mean, Max Glickman. 631 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:22,140 Welcome to America, Max. Max Glickman. Hey, how are you doing? Welcome. 632 00:37:22,620 --> 00:37:23,620 Look at this one. 633 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:26,240 Philomena Barbieri Giuliano. 634 00:37:26,660 --> 00:37:28,040 I don't think she's Scottish. 635 00:37:28,340 --> 00:37:30,000 I just want to see Annie Ferguson. 636 00:37:30,420 --> 00:37:32,100 There we are. There's my Pete. 637 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:33,680 Did you find them? 638 00:37:33,860 --> 00:37:38,920 Robert Ferrigan. Yeah, yeah, there's tons of them. Don't you just feel like 639 00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:39,920 magic of it? 640 00:37:39,980 --> 00:37:40,980 Yeah. 641 00:37:41,720 --> 00:37:44,580 I need to get a selfie with Megan's grandfather. 642 00:37:45,660 --> 00:37:46,660 Here they are. 643 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:48,420 You got your family? 644 00:37:48,660 --> 00:37:49,660 Uh -huh. 645 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:53,700 Andrew Wallace Cunningham, there he is. You got him? I got him. Don't tell me 646 00:37:53,700 --> 00:37:57,320 we're, like, on either side of the wall. Is that perfect? Yeah, you're right 647 00:37:57,320 --> 00:37:59,980 there. We didn't even plan this. This is amazing. 648 00:38:04,660 --> 00:38:08,700 These people in that big circle, they made that. 649 00:38:09,240 --> 00:38:10,920 They built it. They made that. 650 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:14,720 That's unbelievable. Isn't that great? Yeah. 651 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:19,340 Well, my grandfather made the shoes. Yeah, what? I'm making the shoes for all 652 00:38:19,340 --> 00:38:21,560 the people who make that. He made the shoes and the boots, and my grandmother 653 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:22,558 made the clothes. 654 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:27,060 I'm going to come through here. Oh, my God. I'm going to make all the shoes for 655 00:38:27,060 --> 00:38:30,540 all the people. Please, the wall is weeping. I can't take it. 656 00:38:31,260 --> 00:38:33,280 So, the word immigrant. 657 00:38:34,430 --> 00:38:37,730 You've said this. It's a... It's a word of honor. 658 00:38:37,950 --> 00:38:42,710 It is a word of honor. And a word of honor comes with a bond. 659 00:38:43,690 --> 00:38:45,190 And it's a sacred bond. 660 00:38:45,650 --> 00:38:50,530 You come here and you own it too. 661 00:38:50,750 --> 00:38:52,530 It belongs to all of us. 662 00:38:53,570 --> 00:38:58,330 Not one group, not one family, not one person more than another. 663 00:38:58,550 --> 00:39:00,450 It belongs to all of us. 664 00:39:00,830 --> 00:39:03,390 Bring the good stuff from where you're from. 665 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:06,700 and leave the crap where it was. 666 00:39:06,980 --> 00:39:10,980 This is the new world. Bring your heritage, bring your culture. Bring it. 667 00:39:10,980 --> 00:39:12,620 bring an open mind, because it's America. 668 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:35,000 You ready for this? 669 00:40:12,910 --> 00:40:16,330 I came to America with the crazy dream of making it in show business. 670 00:40:16,530 --> 00:40:18,590 And guess what? I still might. 671 00:40:19,330 --> 00:40:20,330 It's America. 672 00:40:20,550 --> 00:40:22,110 And this dance keeps going. 673 00:40:23,290 --> 00:40:28,850 In the meantime, if I do nothing else on this show, I want to illuminate for my 674 00:40:28,850 --> 00:40:33,890 fellow Americans the thrill and exhilaration that comes from joining the 675 00:40:33,890 --> 00:40:34,890 the free. 676 00:40:35,370 --> 00:40:38,230 If this sounds trite, I don't give a rat's ass. 677 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:46,040 I believe America truly is the best idea for a country that anyone has ever come 678 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:47,040 up with so far. 679 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:49,140 We're from everywhere. 680 00:41:02,510 --> 00:41:06,550 We're not just a nation. We're not just an ethnicity. We're a dream of justice 681 00:41:06,550 --> 00:41:09,630 that people have had for thousands of years. 682 00:41:10,610 --> 00:41:15,830 America made us, and we made America. 683 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:37,960 We're Shrek and Fiona, we're here all the time.