I read this with deep interest, Kristin. First, I've been thinking a lot lately about how difficult it can be to balance conflicting feelings, and you explored that sort of difficulty with so much grace and intelligence. Second, the expectation that immigrants (especially immigrants of color & low income immigrants) and their descendants should feel "lucky to be here" reminded me of something adoptees are often asked when we criticize adoption practices: "But aren't you're lucky to be adopted?" Both messages reinforce existing U.S.A. systems of oppression, and both imply that such "luck" should drown out criticism. Ugh.