OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA: Yesterday and Today

Does the opportunity that brought immigrants to America in the early 1900s still exist in America today?

The answer is "Yes!" - and your children should know it.

In Chapter 3 of my new book, Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame, my twelve-year-old son, Anthony, travels through time to meet his ten-year-old great-grandfather at Ellis Island in 1907. Anthony also meets his great-great-grandfather, Francesco, the first of our family to immigrate to America.

At one point in the story, Anthony makes the following observation: "Underneath the hardships that Francesco and the other immigrants faced, the forces of freedom and capitalism worked quietly. Slowly, but surely, Francesco and the other immigrants turned opportunity into achievement, and poverty into wealth. I could see it happening."

What, exactly, was Anthony observing? And, is it still true today?

In the early 1900s, America's system of free enterprise and capitalism provided an opportunity that was unknown elsewhere in the world: The opportunity for a family to become wealthy in a single generation. Everywhere else on the globe, if you were born into poverty, chances were that you would remain in poverty all of your life, and your children had little chance of doing any better. So people left their homelands and traveled to America. Immigrants took advantage of the unique opportunity America offered, and they started businesses in America.

Here are some examples of Italian immigrants who succeeded:

In 1890, nineteen-year-old Domenico DeDomenico emigrated from Italy and settled in California. He started a pasta company called Gragnano Products in 1912. In 1934, the company was renamed the Golden Grain Macaroni Company and later became famous for its Rice-A-Roni products.

In 1889, twelve-year-old Amadeo Obici emigrated from Italy. In 1904, he opened a fruit stand in New York City, offering bags of roasted peanuts for a nickel each. His roasted peanuts were so popular, that in 1906, Amadeo Obici established the Planters Peanut Company.

In 1900, Vincent Taormina emigrated from Sicily and settled in New Orleans. He began a small importing business, bringing the foods of Italy to America. In 1927, his successful business merged with another food company to form the Progresso Italian Food Corporation.

In 1915, seventeen-year-old Hector Boyardi emigrated from Italy and settled in Cleveland, OH, where he became a chef and opened a restaurant. Hector's spaghetti sauce was so popular that he packaged it in milk bottles for his customers to take home. Later, when Hector combined his bottled spaghetti sauce with pasta and offered the combination as a cook-at-home meal, he had the makings of a new company. Hector Americanized his name and called his new company Chef Boyardee.

Does the opportunity that brought immigrants to America in the early 1900s still exist in America today?

The answer is "Yes!" - and your children should know it.

America is still the place where families can become wealthy in a single generation: 80 percent of America's millionaires are first-generation rich. Starting a business is still the best and most popular way to become wealthy: The self-employed make up less than 20 percent of the workers in America, but they account for more than two-thirds of America's millionaires! Twenty million Americans operate sole-proprietorships. Small companies - companies with less than five hundred employees - employ half of the American workforce, or about sixty million people! Small businesses create three out of four new jobs in America annually.

America's economic system lifted millions of people out of poverty and gave them new hope for their future. It still does.

Why are there some Americans who can't see the tremendous opportunities that their country offers them today?

Thomas Edison answered that question best when he said: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame, by Michael S. Class.
Read the Book. Remember the Truth. Share it With Your Children.

Web Site: www.MagicPictureFrame.com

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I'VE LOVED THESE DAYS

SONG FOR TODAY
From: ANTHONY AND THE MAGIC PICTURE FRAME, page 222.

I've Loved These Days
by Billy Joel

Now we take our time … so nonchalant,
And spend our nights so bon vivant.
We dress our days in silken robes,
The money comes, the money goes …
We know it's all a passing phase.

We light our lamps for atmosphere,
And hang our hopes on chandeliers.
We're going wrong, we're gaining weight,
We're sleeping long and far too late.
And so it's time to change our ways …
But I've loved these days.

Now as we indulge in things refined,
We hide our hearts from harder times.
A string of pearls, a foreign car
Oh, we can only go so far on caviar and Cabernet.

So before we end and then begin
We'll drink a toast to how it's been
A few more hours to be complete,
A few more nights on satin sheets,
A few more times that I can say …
I've loved these days.

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ANTHONY AND THE MAGIC PICTURE FRAME has a soundtrack - more than 200 songs are listed in the book.

What most people don't know: The songs are part of the story. The lyrics of the songs contain lessons for today. It's another secret of ANTHONY AND THE MAGIC PICTURE FRAME!

www.MagicPictureFrame.com

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ANTHONY AND THE MAGIC PICTURE FRAME ON TV: Watch the Video!

Twelve-year-old Anthony, of Seattle, Washington, claims that he traveled back in time by stepping through a magical picture frame on his bedroom wall. He claims he spent many years exploring America's past.

"I worked with Thomas Edison on the phonograph, the light bulb, and the motion picture camera,” says the young time-traveler. "I stood on the moon with Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. I was on Normandy beach on D-Day."

John Curley and Jim Dever, the hosts of Seattle's popular King 5 TV show, Evening Magazine, uncovered the secret behind Anthony's time-travel claim: It's all part of a new book by Seattle author Michael Class.

Click here to watch the video.

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WHY I WROTE, PHOTOGRAPHED, AND PUBLISHED ANTHONY AND THE MAGIC PICTURE FRAME:Read the Book. Remember the Truth. Share It with Your Children.

I was appalled at how some teachers presented American history to my children. With a curriculum designed to instill guilt and shame, I wondered, how will my kids ever discover the lessons of history that inspire greatness and noble aspirations? Will they ever believe that they can make a difference? Will they have any heroes left at all? Then, I wondered: What would the heroes of America's past say to the children of today?

Do you recall how you felt when Apollo 11 landed on the moon? Do you remember a powerful sense of anticipation and pride when President Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and demanded, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"

These events are more than just history to you - they are part of your life experience. In these cases, facts and emotions combine, providing you with a multi-sensory lesson. A lesson of history that will always be part of you, something you can call upon when needed.

You're about to take on a major challenge and Neil Armstrong's words fill your head and boost your confidence: "That's one small step for man: one giant leap for mankind." You're addressing your elected representatives at a town hall meeting, demanding redress for an injustice or their support for a new law. People told you that you "can't fight city hall," but you know that you can: Your inner voice cries out, "Councilman Smith, tear down this wall!"

Look at your children, look at the chaotic time in which they live, consider the challenges they will likely face, and ask yourself: What are the lessons of history that will prepare them for their future? How do we teach those lessons? It's our duty to recognize the lessons of history and point them out to our kids.

I was appalled at how some teachers presented American history to my children. My son and daughter learned that Thomas Jefferson had slaves - before they learned that he wrote the document articulating our rights and duties as free people. European settlers killed Native Americans with blankets infected with smallpox, they found out. That allegation upstaged the stories of courage, perseverance, and curiosity that defined the pioneers. While folding paper cranes in the classroom, my children were told that a hundred thousand people died when the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan - but they were not made to understand the moral context of World War II in which the atomic bomb story fit. My children were instructed to equate illegal aliens with legal immigrants, devaluing the story of their own ancestors who came to America through Ellis Island. And, classroom discussions always seemed to cast businessmen as villains, instead of as people to be emulated.

With a curriculum designed to instill guilt and shame, I wondered, how will my kids ever discover the lessons of history that inspire greatness and noble aspirations? Will they ever believe that they can make a difference? Will they have any heroes left at all?

Then, I wondered: What would the heroes of America's past say to the children of today?

To answer that question, I wrote, photographed, and published Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame - and American history book that teaches the lessons of history. In the book, Anthony, my real-life son, time-travels into the great events of the 20th century. Advanced digital photography places Anthony in the cockpit of the Spirit of St. Louis with Charles Lindbergh, on the moon with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, in the laboratories of Thomas Edison and Jonas Salk, and on Normandy beach on D-Day. Anthony meets and talks with Thomas Edison, Jonas Salk, FDR, Lou Gehrig, Charles Lindbergh, Audie Murphy, and many others. But historical accuracy rules every page of Anthony's adventure in time: Anthony's conversations with America's heroes are based on things they really said.

But it wasn't enough to have just Anthony experience the past. I wanted all of my readers to experience it, too - young readers so they would discover and learn, and adults so they would remember the truth. So, I included a list of hundreds of books, movies, music, and places to visit. The list is a built-in "time machine" that readers can use to see, hear, and experience the things that Anthony did in the past. The list provides that multi-sensory experience that fosters learning.

While writing and photographing the book, I spoke with relatives of famous scientists and inventors, Holocaust survivors, award-winning biographers, and others who could help me ensure that the facts of the book were both accurate and vivid. I was going beyond history: I was going to present the lessons of history, and those lessons had to rest on a firm foundation of fact.

The chapter about Lindbergh's flight is really about choosing one's destiny. The story of Lou Gehrig is one of a virtuous life. The chapter about Thomas Edison is really about business. The story of Apollo 11 is about wonder, taking risks, and courage. The story of Dr. Jonas Salk and the cure for polio is really about dedicating one's life to a higher purpose. When Anthony "meets" his immigrant great-grandfather at Ellis Island in 1907, it's really a story about what it means to be an American. Anthony's observation of D-Day and the liberation of the death camps during the Holocaust is a testament to the reality of evil and the need to fight it.

It's not an easy book. The book challenges the reader to see the modern world in the light of the lessons of the past. Anthony compares the people and events of the past with the people and events of his own time. Anthony discusses the nature of good and evil, right and wrong, war and peace, what it means to be an American, honor and discipline, success and achievement, courage and destiny, marriage and family, God and purpose.

My purpose was to let the heroes of the past speak directly to America's next generation through Anthony. Along with Anthony, I learned that the heroes of the past really do have something important to tell us: "The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose. One person really can make a difference. Doing the right thing always matters."

I began to wonder how I, and my children, could model portions of our lives after these heroes. What enabled them to put these sentiments into action? What did they have in common that led to their ability to change history? What made them great?

Here, in the words of just five of those 20th century heroes, are the main insights that occurred to me. I've phrased them in the form of resolutions - five life lessons I try to follow:

1. Resolve to explore, and to find out what life has to offer. Michael Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut, said: "To go places and to do things that have never been done before - that's what life is all about."

2. Resolve to follow your plan, one step at a time. Charles Lindbergh, pilot of the Spirit of St. Louis: "The important thing is to start; to lay a plan, and then follow it step by step no matter how small or large each one by itself may seem."

3. Resolve to see opportunity and take advantage of it. Thomas Edison, inventor and businessman: "Opportunity is missed by most people, because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

4. Resolve to work hard and create your own good luck. Lou Gehrig, baseball player: "My success came from one word - hustle."

5. Resolve to live, and give, with passion. Dr. Jonas Salk, discoverer of the polio vaccine: "Do what makes your heart leap. That's what I have done. I wanted to be a scientist and a healer, so I used science for healing. It was good advice and I give it to you."

Please join me! Take some time now to reflect on the past, and to remember our history and our heroes. Bring forth in your mind the lessons of our history - and share them with your children. Help America's next generation to hear the voices of the great men and women of the past calling them to greatness.

I hope that you will read the book, remember the truth, and share it with your children.

We can't afford to raise a generation of Americans who do not value their country, their heritage, and their place in the world. As Abraham Lincoln said: America is the "last best hope of earth."

Thank you.

Michael S. Class

E-mail: class@MagicPictureFrame.com

Blog: www.MagicPictureFrame.blogspot.com

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Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame was named Outstanding Book of the Year and Most Original Concept of 2006 by Independent Publisher; Reviewers Choice by Midwest Book Review; and Editor's Pick by Homefires: The Journal of Homeschooling Online. Nationally syndicated talk-show host Michael Medved calls the book "entertaining and educational."

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin says "parents and teachers will appreciate the inspiring message this unique history book holds for America's next generation. I recommend this book to all young Americans, may they take us to the stars and beyond."

Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame (hardcover, 225 pages, $25.00) is available at www.MagicPictureFrame.com, by calling toll-free 1-800-247-6553, at select bookstores, and on www.amazon.com.

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ANTHONY AND THE MAGIC PICTURE FRAME:One Father's Gift to His Son Becomes a Gift for All America's Children

With his father's help, a young man in Seattle stepped back in time to have historic experiences. He met Lou Gehrig, FDR, Jonas Salk, Thomas Edison, and even his own great-grandfather at Ellis Island in 1907 and learned secrets to their strength of will, dedication to purpose, and love of country. The result, accomplished through advanced digital photography and historically accurate text, is Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame: a history book with an inspiring message for today's young Americans.

If your dad told you he could put you on the Moon with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, would you believe him? And what if your big dream was to jump into the cockpit with Charles Lindbergh as he took off for his historic flight across the Atlantic Ocean -- would you say, "Dad, can I please have that for Christmas?"

With his father's help, a young man in Seattle did step back in time to have these experiences, as well as meet Lou Gehrig, FDR, Jonas Salk, Thomas Edison, and even his own great grandfather at Ellis Island in 1907. He learned the secrets to their strength of will, dedication to purpose, and love of country.

Photographer and author Michael Class made all of these magical things come true for his 12-year-old son, Anthony, by using advanced digital photography. After securing permission for photos of historic moments - and endorsements from people in those photos - he placed Anthony in the cockpit of the Spirit of St. Louis with Charles Lindbergh, on the moon with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, in the laboratories of Thomas Edison and Jonas Salk, on Normandy beach on D-Day, at Ellis Island, and much more.

Father and son worked together for nearly four years to capture and compile adventures with 20th century American heroes. The result is a museum-quality history book, Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame, full of photos and stories of Anthony "meeting" and learning exciting lessons from inspiring Americans. The Web site, www.MagicPictureFrame.com, displays some of the book's captivating photographs.

Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame lifts spirits as it stimulates young minds. Embraced by the homeschooling community and parents and teachers nationwide, the book is a memorable gift for young adults, grades 6-12. Now, the book is available at a special price of $25 exclusively from www.MagicPictureFrame.com and Amazon.com, and by calling toll-free 1-800-247-6553.

Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame was named "Outstanding Book of the Year" by Independent Publisher; "Reviewers Choice" by Midwest Book Review; and "Editor's Pick" by Homefires: The Journal of Homeschooling Online. Nationally syndicated talk-show host Michael Medved calls the book "entertaining and educational."

Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 astronaut, says: "The book's vivid narrative and captivating photographs transported me through space and time: I felt that I was once again standing on the surface of the Moon in 1969. Anthony and the Magic Picture Frame tells it like it really was in America's early space program - the adventure, the risks, and the rewards. I almost believe that Anthony was there! I think that parents and teachers will appreciate the inspiring message this unique history book holds for America's next generation. I recommend this book to all young Americans, may they take us to the stars and beyond."

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