Hello, I am excited to start this class and this semester. I have always had an interest in American history and have since a young age been investigating my family lineage and heritage.  It seems like this class will give me that opportunity again and hopefully in a more in-depth and extensive way. I agree completely that the United States was and still is being built and enriched by the immigrants that come and have come throughout the ages. My main area of interest in history is the study of military history and the history of warfare. With warfare being one of the main motivators for immigration, be it a push as in the cases of refugees or pull as is the case with some of the modern IDF solders that have left the US and enlisted to help fight with Israel, I will certainly have the chance to study through the lens of "ethnic history" and this class. Below is a link to an article about people from the US going to fight with the IDF.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/07/25/this-is-why-americans-go-fight-in-the-israeli-army/