This whole thing about being an immigrant is interesting. Every day we come across a different situation and, depending on where you live, life may be simpler, but it is undeniable that having an accent makes you different. You just have to open your mouth and who you are is revealed: all judgments are being made at that moment, in the brain of whoever is listening to you and everything about who you are has already been determined in the first few seconds of conversation. (If you don’t believe me, read the book “Blink: Deciding in the Blink of an Eye” by Malcolm Gladwell).
The other day I was walking with my children when I saw someone handing out informational pamphlets about the upcoming elections. I went ahead and asked what the pamphlets were about (I have strong opinions about some issues in our city) and the person handing out the informational pamphlets immediately corrected me: “These are only for those who vote!” I was happy to correct her, because I am a citizen and have the right to vote, but when you do this all the time, the activity becomes boring. From buying a car to a meeting with your children’s teachers, your accent transforms any type of social interaction. “Is that your real name? Or did you create an American name for yourself?”: I am sick of hearing this question. “Have you ever been cold?” asks another, referring to the intense cold in these parts. “Yes, I have lived here for over 10 years.” Everyone assumes that we arrived yesterday and forgets to notice that my children do not have the same accent as me. (Could this lack of accent be a miracle of childhood?)
And we live in a “liberal” state (the “left” here), where a foreigner feels like a human being like everyone else and not the famous Alien. I was with my children the other day at the Public Library, and the librarian, Ms. Christine, having heard about the blog, brought me some materials about immigration. One of them contained the following quote from Harry S. Truman (president of the United States from 1945 to 1953): “You know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal and that everyone deserves an even break.” – which, translated, means more or less “you know that being an American is more than a matter of where your parents were born. It is a belief that all people are created free and that everyone deserves a chance.”
I think that’s what we need to keep in mind, today but never before: we all deserve a chance. I think of the scenes I saw on TV yesterday: a boat full of people trying to reach Malta and, having been denied access, were stuck at sea; or the more than 4,000 children stuck between April and June in a closed Walmart, waiting for their parents to be tried or deported. Those immigrants are children and young people trying to get a chance – a chance to go to school, to get a job, to have a decent home and, finally, a chance to be happy in a place without war. Ms. Christine also gave me a paper with short testimonies from immigrant teenagers who are high school students (what we called Secondary Schools in my time). These testimonies give me hope for the new generations, who knows, maybe they don’t have more empathy? Maybe the new generation doesn’t have a broader view of the fact that we are all immigrants? Here are some of those testimonies, translated by me, to celebrate the fact that we all deserve an “even break”:
“We knew that starting a new life would not be easy, but our expectations were greater than our fears.” — Giovanna, Santa Monica High School
“For those who were born here, I want to tell them that it is very difficult to leave all your friends and family behind, move to another country and start a new life. And that is why we need your help to help each other and make these students feel loved.” — Hayarpi, Glendale High School.
“You can trace anyone’s DNA back to some place where their ancestors were crossing over into a strange new land.” — John, Merlin High School
“This country has given me my daily meals, my safety, my family, and the right to speak my mind. It has also given me the opportunity to reach far and become a successful intellectual woman.” — Paulina, Glendale High School
“One thing non-immigrants don’t realize yet is that we are fighters and that we never give up on our dreams and goals, even when the challenges can be fatal. Immigrants would rather die trying than die and never try.” — Mayra, Animo Justice Charter High School.