By Edwin Fare
I want to start by thanking all of our residents, employees and visitors for what turned out to be a grand and successful centennial celebration for the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream. Our 100th anniversary year of 2025 truly celebrated where we came from, where we are today and where we are headed, going into the future as a strong and united community.
Moving forward, July 4, 2026, will marks our nation’s 250th birthday. Certainly this is a milestone for independence and democracy. The United States of America has always been a diverse, multicultural nation of hardworking people who came here for a better life. Of course we are a nation of immigrants, a very diverse as well as a very blended country.
The earliest use of the term “melting pot” dates back to the 1780s, as a phrase we associate with the cultural integration of multiple cultures into one society — without expecting the traditions of any one culture to be ignored.
Quite the opposite: Traditions are passed down and celebrated from generation to generation, preserving the heritage of their ancestors. There are dozens of examples of cultural and religious celebrations, from St. Patrick’s Day, Little Italy’s Feast of San Gennaro and Chinese New Year to Cinco De Mayo, Oktoberfest, Black History Month, Haitian Heritage Month and Ed al-Fitr, to name just a few.
Food, of course, is a big part of every celebration, and family meals take on the great flavors of our ancestors.
All of these groups of immigrants did their best to learn the language, traditions and values of these United States, but becoming American citizens did not diminish where they came from. You would expect that you go to a new country to become a part of that country, not to change it to the country from which you came.
I have visited many parts of this great country as well as many countries abroad. I have enjoyed all of my travels throughout the U.S., and never once did I try to make great cities more like those I knew. The same can be said for my travels overseas. I had a passport and travel visas, I loved the scenery and cultures, but I was also expected to follow the laws of their lands and leave before my visa expired. Why would you expect to stay in a country illegally, or change its laws to suit your unique background? We must try to follow the laws of the land, and live as one united nation.
We know, however, that different cultures, economic conditions, traditions and forms of government have led to a great deal of adversity. Sadly, these past 250 years have been filled with many difficulties and tragedies. As a lover of history, I’m always trying to learn more by studying our past. It’s pretty obvious that we haven’t had much peace.
In fact, less than 20 total years of America’s existence has been peaceful. Some 93 percent of our history has been affected by conflicts and war, both domestically and globally.
Still, most of us believe that the United States is the best place in the world to live, despite its flaws. To quote an old adage, “Freedom is never free.” We enjoy our freedom, but it definitely comes at a great price. We defend and fight for our way of life all the time. While that sounds like a lot of adversity, it allows us to grow, learn and, yes, survive as the Founding Fathers envisioned.
So, this July Fourth, we must continue to strive, individually and as a nation to get along, to help one another, to follow laws or to petition to have them changed, as we keep and defend our rights as U.S. citizens.
Let’s celebrate, not destroy what has survived 250 years.
Ed Fare is the mayor of Valley Stream.
