"My father was the son of immigrants, and he grew up bilingual, but English is what my father taught me and what he spoke to me. America's strength is not our diversity it is our ability to unite around common principles even when we come from different backgrounds."

Family

Create & Download Quote Image

Select Template

Insight & Reflection

This reflection on family by Ernest Istook resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in family is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About Ernest Istook

Ernest James "Ernie" Istook Jr. is an American retired lawyer and politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 5th congressional district. He held his congressional seat for 14 years, completing seven terms in the House. Currently, Istook is a Distinguished Fellow at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., and also a talk radio host. In 2010, Istook became a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School leading a study on Propaganda in American Politics.

More quotes by Ernest Istook  ’
Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Ernest Istook

"Americans should be free to recognize our religious heritage; doing that is not the same as creating a government-sponsored religion."

Read more  ’

"We cannot sacrifice innocent human life now for vague and exaggerated promises of medical treatments thirty of forty years from now. There are ways to pursue this technology and respect life at the same time."

Read more  ’

"Americans should be free to recognize our religious heritage doing that is not the same as creating a government-sponsored religion."

Read more  ’

"The American people do not want people thumbing their nose at the law. It undercuts the very fabric of our society and the system of civil justice and of criminal justice as well."

Read more  ’

More about Family

"I'm not a kid. You don't get in this business for anonymity. It's not like I have posters of myself on the wall, but at the same time, I'm kind of ready for a little bit of it, but I worry for my little one, and my family - their privacy. That's what I'm more protective of."

Read more  ’

"Except for naval and air exercises, our military should be stationed on American soil, where service men and women can lead normal lives in close proximity to family and friends."

Read more  ’

"My dad was a militant atheist, or is a militant atheist. My mum was sort of bought up in a religious family because she was a Protestant from Ireland but wasn't especially religious."

Read more  ’
View all Family quotes  ’