As our hearts continued to be with the victims of Hurricane Harvey across Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana, the nation celebrated Labor Day Monday.

But like so many holidays, its meaning and the need for recollection is far too great to be simply focused on a single day.

America was literally built from the ground up, with hard-working hands.

In our nation’s early years some of those hands were shackled by slavery. That grim period in our country’s history is one that we wish didn’t exist, but we also recognize an amazing thing that happened as a result — our nation ultimately became even more of a diverse melting pot.

Across the country today, American laborers put in long hours in factories, mills, farms and offices.

They help create the American economy and help support the American way of life.

America’s workforce has seen dramatic changes in the past few years as many long-time factory jobs have vanished either through automation or cheaper labor costs in other parts of the world.

As our world seems increasingly unstable, the day after we celebrate Labor Day seems a good day to remember that “Made in America” may not be as easy to find today as it was 50 years ago, but it still exists and means something deeper than just a label.