I have always admired my dad. There are a whole host of reasons for my respect but chief amongst them is that he has always stood by the principle of his conviction. My father joined the SNP in 1974, he was the first Asian to join the party in Glasgow which went very much against the grain of the local Pakistani community he grew up in.
For him there was no doubt that independence for Scotland was the course for his adopted home to pursue. Whether it be Pakistan or Poland he understood that every country should be in control of all of its own affairs.
Like my father, so many immigrants have come to this country and found Scotland lives up to its world-renowned reputation for friendliness and hospitality. However, more than that they often come in search of opportunity and have gone on to create thousands of jobs in some of Scotland's most established companies.
All of this is only possible because Scotland has a spirit of openness which is instilled in us by our ethos of civic national pride - an ethos that is shared by all of us regardless of political affiliation.
One of the main proponents of civic national pride, the late Bashir Ahmad MSP, described it best when he said: “It doesn’t matter where you come from; it is where we go together as a nation.”
Fast forward all those decades from when my father first came to this country and the black, minority, ethnic community has come a long way. Now we see businesses that contribute billions to the economy, way above and beyond our population share, many of our brightest minds engaged in vital frontline public services and a community making advances across the political spectrum.
However, within the current constitutional structure the UK Government is putting much of this good work at risk - particularly with draconian immigration measures that are unfairly impacting those from the Asian and sub-continent communities.
The contribution they make are an integral part of Scotland's fabric. Their voice will be an important one in the discussions about our nation's future.
Independence will give us all the chance to help build a new nation. Our diverse communities bring with them important values and often come with an entrepreneurial spirit. There is no doubt that our black and minority ethnic Scots will continue to play an important role in an independent Scotland and continue to help us grow and move towards becoming a more prosperous nation.
Humza Yousaf is SNP MSP for Glasgow
