Our Story

 

AMERICA, MY OYSTER ASSOCIATION’s name was partly derived from an essay by the famed folklorist, Zora Neale Hurston. In the essay “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” enthusiastically she proclaims:

 
But I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all…I have seen that the world is too strong regardless of a little pigmentation more or less. No, I do not weep at the worl…
“But I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all…I have seen that the world is too strong regardless of a little pigmentation more or less. No, I do not weep at the world? I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife… I am merely a fragment of the Great Soul that surges within the boundaries. My country, right or wrong.”
 

In spite of the limitations that Hurston faced as an African-American and a female writer, she remained undeterred in maximizing her potential. Her poignant message symbolizes what the America, My Oyster Association represents—tenacity, perseverance, and resiliency.

Additionally, inspired by the popular saying, “The world is your oyster,” The America, My Oyster Association took its name. AMOA believes the United States of America, despite its many challenges, still remains the proverbial “oyster” of opportunity and that everyone, both citizen and non-citizen, are deserving of their own illustrious pearl—The American Dream.