As people got ready to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks and cookouts, several naturalized and first-generation U.S. citizens talked to Murrysville Star about what America means to them.

Some say that the United States is the land of opportunities. Others state the obvious – they wanted to live in a free country.

For Kollengode "K.S." Venkataraman, it wasn't the freedom that lead him to the United States; it was a bruised ego.

After he finished his undergraduate degree in India, he earned a scholarship to study in the United States.

"Only two people got the scholarship – me and a rich kid. I didn't have the money to buy a one-way ticket and the rich kid went. That bothered me," he said with a laugh. "I was hurt but I wasn't going to live with the failure, so I saved my money for about three years and I bought my ticket. I ended up getting a better scholarship in a better school."

A Murrysville resident, Venkataraman is now the publisher and editor of the Pittsburgh Patrika, an English-language magazine that serves the regional Indian community. He says he never would have started a magazine in India, and that living in the United States has given him a sense of self.

"I learned so much more about myself when I came here," he said. "U.S. soil gave me the opportunity to learn my strengths and weaknesses and I had the opportunity to start something new. America encourages me to be proud of who I am and to search for answers."

He and his wife, Premlata, raised their U.S.-born children in a home that mixed the American and Indian lifestyles.

"(My children) are completely American. They are essentially products of this society," he said.

Carmen Harding, an Ecuadorian native who lives in Murrysville, has a relatively similar household. She and her husband, Douglas, who was born in Venezuela, run a bilingual (English and Spanish) home. Their two children were born in the United States.

During an interview, Harding was watching the World Cup soccer game between Costa Rica and Ecuador. A loud cheer from her children erupted as Ecuador beats Costa Rica 3-0. Harding lighted up.

"My kids are involved in my own culture," she said. "It's really amazing."

As a child, Harding heard a lot about the United States from her oldest sister, who was a flight attendant.

"We always said it was such a free country," she added.

After meeting Douglas in an elevator in Mexico, she moved to the United States. Unfortunately, this country didn't live up to the idealized expectations that Harding formed as a child.

"There was a lot of racism and rules. It wasn't as free as I thought it would be," she said. "I feel like I have to be more careful with the things I say, and I'm not afraid to say anything."

But it doesn't mean the country is bad, she says.

"We have to make the best of everything. America was a whole new world for me, but my English is getting better," she said. "I'm doing well with the things I can."

Harding, a Spanish tutor for Franklin Regional Middle School, says she celebrates the Fourth of July for her children.

"It's a part of my kids' culture and we like to be a part of the society," she said. "We want to let the kids be happy and enjoy the celebrations.

"I also have the opportunity to be here and learn another culture – it's the perfect blend,"

said Rita Liu, chairwoman of the Asian chapter at Monte Jade Science and Technology Association, about her own expectations of the United States.

Born in China and raised in Taiwan, Liu came to the states more than 40 years ago to study in school. She says she used to read about the United States in textbooks during high school.

"I actually read about Pittsburgh and how it was called the Steel City," she said. "It was one of the top five industries, and it gave me this productive image of the country."

Unlike Harding, her expectations of the country's freedom were fulfilled. "We have many opportunities here and we are free," Liu said. "We're able to get jobs based on our ability, not just who we know."

Though the country lived up to her expectations, Liu, a Murrysville resident, says times are changing. "Society is more private now. People never used to lock their doors and they used to trust."

But these changes don't take away from her view or appreciation of the United States.

"The United States is my country now and I am proud to be a U.S. citizen," she said.

Liu has two children who were both U.S.-born. She raised them "the Chinese way," but found that it was difficult after they became teenagers.

"We raised them to be honest, polite and responsible," she said. "I'm happy for them."

Andrew Leon is one 19-year-old who hasn't let go of his roots. A Murrysville resident, he considers himself more Puerto Rican than American. He was born in the United States after his dad moved the family from Puerto Rico to work at Alcoa.

"I idolize Puerto Rico more because of the culture. I love the dancing," he said. "If you walk into my room or look at my car, there are Puerto Rican flags everywhere."

But Leon can see why people would want to come to the United States.

"I've traveled so much and people who live outside of the country look at it differently," he said. "The United States is the place where people get good jobs. I mean, I can go and get 10 part-time jobs in the next two weeks if I wanted to."

But through his Puerto Rican pride, Leon has a love for the United States. "I don't go around saying that I'm proud to be an American, but I do love living here."

For Ismael Pizzaro, it was a lot harder to stick to his Puerto Rican roots. He was born in the United States after his parents came from Puerto Rico for better opportunities.

"They came for opportunities for themselves and for their children," he said. "My mom didn't get an education past the third grade because she had to work. She didn't want that life for her children."

His parents spoke exclusively Spanish at home. Pizzaro entered school not knowing any English. Before long, his family became Americanized.

"Times are different now than they were before. You had to learn English and you learned to become American because you couldn't get by if you didn't. Our culture is more accommodating to Hispanics now. You can call anywhere and you get a message saying 'press one for English, press two for Spanish'," he said.

Pizzaro, who is a resident of Trafford, hasn't held on to his roots as much as he would have liked, but he still speaks some Spanish to his two children.

His daughter, Nikki, doesn't think her family's Hispanic roots make them stand apart.

"We're not any less or any more American than everyone else," she said.

Sharon Battle, who owns a travel agency in Trafford, says she's the same as everyone else. Born in the United States, she and her mother moved back to England, her mother's native land, after Battle's father died.

Battle found herself back in the United States 26 years ago because of her husband's job.

Although she spent most of her life in England, she still considers herself an American.

"I'm proud to be here and I love it here," she said. "My kids and my grandchildren are here. It's my home. It's a way of life.”