This video along with the following text was posted by RevBillyRayCollins on youtube. 

I don't own the rights to this song. B.J. Thomas: America Is. With lyrics by Hal David and music by Joe Raposo, "America Is" entered the charts in February 1986 and remained for seven weeks. It was named the official song for the Ellis Island Foundation, and CBS ran a special by the same title, produced by Raposo, for the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty that year. The song's beautiful lyrics were remembered again after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and by families and friends of soldiers who have been called to battle.

The song's lyrics say how you can become anything in America no matter who you are.  There were many countries where what you could be were determined by what your class was.  India for example had a caste system.  Europe had royalty, England had nobles.  If you were born a serf you'd die a serf.  In America if you have a good idea and make it happen you can become rich. 


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