I am a first generation American girl. Both my parents are from Ecuador. My dad was a full-blooded Ecuadorian. He moved to the US w/ my mom in the 50's. They lived in NYC for a while and then moved to Miami. That was when he got a job in a bank where he worked for almost 30 years. My dad was an alcoholic but I'll give him props because he always worked hard in spite of his vices. When he retired, it was with a pension although his liver was shot....
My mom's mother was from Ecuador. Her dad was a Hungarian Jew who came from a well-to-do family that was lost in the Holocaust. He came to Ecuador early on to start a business and during the war helped Jews migrate to Ecuador and helped them find work. I have a book (in Spanish) that my mom gave me which mentions my grandfather and his contribution during the war. My mom's name is mentioned in the book too. I must say, I'm proud of my heritage.
My mom started dating my father when she was a teenager. Her father didn't approve so my mom ran away when she was 17 and married my dad. My grandfather never forgave my mom for that. He felt my dad was beneath her. As a result of that rebellion, she became the family black sheep. What's sad is that her siblings all lived a grandiose life of affluence because they remained in good standing with my grandfather while my mom did not because she chose to follow her heart. My mom told me that it saddened her but she didn't regret marrying my father because it gave her me.
Aw, mom. I miss her.
My father never became a US citizen in spite of the fact that he worked in the US for almost 30 years. My mom, however, did. It was so important to her. In fact, she refused to speak in her native language and was even annoyed when people detected her accent and automatically started speaking to her in Spanish.
I think my mom was ashamed of her Latin roots. In the end, when she was sick and I was caring for her, I filled out a lot of paperwork with her for medical assistance. Whenever it came to origin, she wouldn't let me check "hispanic" but, rather, "other" and she would have me write in "Latin European". She was proud of her European roots but not so much her Latin ones...
And what exactly is wrong with being Latin? I asked her this once and she insisted that she wasn't ashamed. It's not like there is any negative stigma attached to being Latin. If anything, we're known for being amazing lovers. How can that be a bad thing?
The political climate in this country is not good right now w/ the Supreme Court decision regarding ObamaCare. I, however, feel that a slice of justice pie has been served. The healthcare system in this country is broken and I know this more than anybody because, as my mom's caregiver, I was forced to deal with all the fucked up loopholes regarding coverage. The one chemo drug that was helping my mom cost $5,000 a month and it was not covered by Medicare. These mother fuckers online really enrage me. I cannot believe how heartless some Americans are.
Shortly after my mom died, I went to Belgium to visit her half-sister (a beneficiary of their common father's wealth that my mom was deprived of) and my grandmother (my mom's stepmom but the only "grandmother" I've ever known) had a heart attack. I got to witness socialized medicine first hand. All the fear manipulation that the right wing propagates is just that: manipulation. There is nothing wrong with socialized medicine... In fact, it was the polar opposite of what I experienced as my mom's caregiver. Hospitals were clean, rooms were large and uncrowded, my grandmother was not neglected. I was amazed.
This happened around Christmas and a small bottle of wine was served with dinner... in a fucking hospital.. TO PATIENTS!! And this image was posted in the hospital lobby. An ad for a ring to measure your penis.
I fucking love Belgium!
My aunt lives in a massive house in a very affluent part of Antwerp. She told me that she pays more in taxes for socialized medicine but that she doesn't have a problem with it because, if anything, there is less dereliction on their streets. They feel America is backwards in not offering this to their citizens and I concur...especially after caring for my mom. I was hoping that by some miracle, my aunt would've invited me to stay in Belgium. Sure, I'd have had to learn Dutch but it's a different mindset there.
My trip came shortly after Obama was elected (and even before he was inaugurated) and, when Belgians found out I was American, they praised the fact that we elected Obama... a far cry from the previous time I had been to Europe. I went to Norway in 2002 and I was treated like absolute crap because I was American. My friend, Greg, told me afterwards that whenever he goes to Europe, he tells them he's Canadian because he doesn't want to be judged by the fact that our president (W) is a moron.
Yes, I'm an American girl... but I'm not a proud American. It's hard to be with all the hate regarding our president and ObamaCare. Fuck them bitches, I say! Someone told me on a message board that my "cunt mother" deserved to die and he (or she) hoped that I would soon join my "cunt mother" in a grease fire. I'm constantly being called a "libtard" because I believe in health care for all.
These are my "fellow Americans". I am not proud, in any way, to have any association with them be it national or otherwise. If I could move to Europe, I would... in a heartbeat.
And on a side note: Tomorrow I go sailing on the Napa River! Happy fucking day!
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