Mr. Joe Loya told me that although his ethnic culture is Hispanic, he is an AMERICAN FIRST! Spanish is NOT my FIRST language, ENGLISH is, he said. I replied that my MOTHER, of UKRANIAN ancestry(with some Russian, Czech, Jewish, and Chinese mixed in!), ALSO considers herself to be an AMERICAN first. Although she STILL speaks Ukranian, my mom, like Mr. Loya, holds to ENGLISH as HER REAL mother tongue. My FATHER'S parents, of FRENCH, GERMAN, ENGLISH, IRISH, and AMERICAN INDIAN descent, ALSO were AMERICANS first, and while they DID RETAIN their different languages, ENGLISH was NUMBER ONE for THEM, too! Because there are several DIFFERENT nations and races in EACH of my parents' families, the ONLY thing that I can REALLY be is an AMERICAN! Mr. Loya's passionate patriotism prompted me to respond with DEEP respect and gratitude, "Mr. Loya, YOU just made ME PROUDER than EVER to BE an American!" American--FIRST, LAST, and ALWAYS!