Some morning thoughts on Trump's wannabe Nazism, food dehumanization, and how immigrants around the world believe in us even when we stop believing in us
I grew up in Toledo, Ohio. My father served in the US Army in the South Pacific where he met my mother, a nurse, in Sydney, Australia while recuperating from a wound. He married my mother after the war. My mother’s parents had emigrated to Australia from England and Ireland after WW1. So we were a family of immigrants. My father would often drive us around the city of Toledo and point out to us where the immigrants lived, the Polish, the Hungarians, the Italians, the Greeks, the Jews and the families of the Mid Eastern land of Lebanon. We would frequent the restaurants of these immigrants enjoy tasting new foods and listening to the accents. We were just youngsters but it was always an adventure and we grew up with a birds eye view of the hard work of immigrants, their dreams coming true and the freedom we all experienced being with each other. Those experiences gave us a sense of belonging to something bigger than our city of Toledo but also the reason people come to America for jobs, a better life and to bring the riches of their communities to us. We are a land of immigrants and we need to appreciate what it means to accept others and envelope the richness of other’s cultures.
Why aren’t people being challenged to ask where their parents and grandparents came from? Census data states about 25% of all Americans have one or more grandparents who are immigrants. What is the fear, resistance and problem to asking Americans where we are originally from, how we came to America, and just looking at who lives next door, works with us and attends same schools as our children?
“What is the fear, resistance and problem to asking Americans where we are originally from, how we came to America, and just looking at who lives next door, works with us and attends same schools as our children?”
The real fear of being branded as other by grievance based phonies who think they are the only legit ones. My father’s parents were immigrants. Their children were Americans. They spoke their parents language in their sleep but never to the children. Notice I do not identify the parental nation of origin. It was not much talked about.
I’ve known original people who camouflaged their identity by claiming to be from immigrant origin to avoid harsh social consequences. It was a necessity.
The point is that individuals need to be mindful of the racism, fear, and loathing of the other that has been a feature of life in America in its worst moments. I celebrate immigration and the bounty of cultural richness it provides. However, I would never be careless about outing an individual knowing how bigots can pounce on the opportunity to tear down. Let’s celebrate the rich cultural heritage of American society and the promise of freedom and democracy. Let’s not forget the responsibility for continuing care to allow it to happen.
Thank you! So beautifully said. I also want to add that there are many immigrants who are here because we took their country away from them through our military interventions. I live in Sacramento and we are one of the largest receivers of people on Special Immigrant Visas. These are people who worked with the U.S.Military in Iraq and Afghanistan and as a result they could not stay in their countries because of what we did. They risked their lives for us and yet with all this dehumanizing rhetoric they are not treated with the respect they deserve.
I grew up in Toledo, Ohio. My father served in the US Army in the South Pacific where he met my mother, a nurse, in Sydney, Australia while recuperating from a wound. He married my mother after the war. My mother’s parents had emigrated to Australia from England and Ireland after WW1. So we were a family of immigrants. My father would often drive us around the city of Toledo and point out to us where the immigrants lived, the Polish, the Hungarians, the Italians, the Greeks, the Jews and the families of the Mid Eastern land of Lebanon. We would frequent the restaurants of these immigrants enjoy tasting new foods and listening to the accents. We were just youngsters but it was always an adventure and we grew up with a birds eye view of the hard work of immigrants, their dreams coming true and the freedom we all experienced being with each other. Those experiences gave us a sense of belonging to something bigger than our city of Toledo but also the reason people come to America for jobs, a better life and to bring the riches of their communities to us. We are a land of immigrants and we need to appreciate what it means to accept others and envelope the richness of other’s cultures.
That LINE... That hit me so hard. Yes. And folks line up the night before to be there at 7 AM.
Why aren’t people being challenged to ask where their parents and grandparents came from? Census data states about 25% of all Americans have one or more grandparents who are immigrants. What is the fear, resistance and problem to asking Americans where we are originally from, how we came to America, and just looking at who lives next door, works with us and attends same schools as our children?
“What is the fear, resistance and problem to asking Americans where we are originally from, how we came to America, and just looking at who lives next door, works with us and attends same schools as our children?”
The real fear of being branded as other by grievance based phonies who think they are the only legit ones. My father’s parents were immigrants. Their children were Americans. They spoke their parents language in their sleep but never to the children. Notice I do not identify the parental nation of origin. It was not much talked about.
I’ve known original people who camouflaged their identity by claiming to be from immigrant origin to avoid harsh social consequences. It was a necessity.
The point is that individuals need to be mindful of the racism, fear, and loathing of the other that has been a feature of life in America in its worst moments. I celebrate immigration and the bounty of cultural richness it provides. However, I would never be careless about outing an individual knowing how bigots can pounce on the opportunity to tear down. Let’s celebrate the rich cultural heritage of American society and the promise of freedom and democracy. Let’s not forget the responsibility for continuing care to allow it to happen.
Thank you! So beautifully said. I also want to add that there are many immigrants who are here because we took their country away from them through our military interventions. I live in Sacramento and we are one of the largest receivers of people on Special Immigrant Visas. These are people who worked with the U.S.Military in Iraq and Afghanistan and as a result they could not stay in their countries because of what we did. They risked their lives for us and yet with all this dehumanizing rhetoric they are not treated with the respect they deserve.