They told me that I would want to be like Them
An American	
Like Them. 	
               
     (I was born here)

They told me to learn English
That would make me an American
Like Them

     (American was speaking English like Them)

They told me to salute/worship/put my hand over my heart/stand tall before the American Flag
Like Them

     (But I thought only their god deserved that tribute)

That the Founding Fathers were Their heroes
They would become My heroes
     
     (12 White Presidents enslaved humans)
     (Washington enslaved humans for 56 years)
     (Jefferson enslaved over 600 humans)  

That I should learn           
The Declaration of Independence 
That All Men are Created Equal
     
     (41 of 56 of the signers enslaved humans)

The Constitution of the United States of America
The one that excluding Indians not taxed, 
And three fifths of all other Persons

     (25 of 55 signers enslaved humans)

Home of the Free. 
Home of the Brave. 
For White Men only
                
     (Not Black, Brown, Indigenous, Women
      of any color)

They told me to believe Them
They wouldn’t lie
But They forgot to tell me about 
                
     (The broken treaties and genocide 
       against indigenous humans)
     (The enslavement of humans in 
      forced labor camps called Plantations)
     (The racist and brutal Manifest Destiny)
     (The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882)
     (The internment of Japanese Americans 
      for their own good)
     (The other American History 
      They didn’t want to hurt my feelings)

They told me to believe Them
Why would they lie
 All the good things came from Europe 
                  
     (Everywhere else was a shit-hole)

They told me to believe Them
Speak like Them
Act like Them
Dress like Them
Eat like Them
And then They would call me an American
Like Them
They told me to believe Them
They wouldn’t lie

They told me they were Americans
I told Them I know who they really are.