American Tourists, France, and Ireland
Alejandra Blas ([email protected])
Sat, 23 Jan 1999 12:03:08 -0800 (PST)
Well, I am a little bit late on the conversation but I will join in
anyway. This is obviously only my viewpoint.
I think that perhaps pwhat you think of, when you think of Dublin,
will depend on on your individual background. I think of Joyce, Wilde
and Beckett. That is probably because I am deeply involved in
literature. I think a person who is more involved in other things will
have different references.
Second, I have to explain this, "Mexican-American",
"Italian-American", "Irish-American." As someone posted earlier, a lot
of it has to do with people who used to identify themselves with
racial groups other than those who had recently immigrated.
Part of the self-labelling (strange term, but I can't think of one
more appropriate) has to do with the fact that in the US once you are
born in the US, even if your parents are legal residents, you are
automatically a citizen, but that doesn't mean that you are completely
"Americanized." I know this sound strange, but let me explain. Many
people, especially first and second generation, feel in essence that
they are not quite fully "American" (that is they are not fully
integrated with the American culture) and that they are not fully
integrated with the culture their parents came from. Instead, the
cultures have somehow merged into a double identity. Yes, it is
occasionally schizophrenic- I say this because I am Mexican-American.
Furthermore, even though we are all "American" many of us are not
treated as fully "American." This goes beyond the obvous prejudice
that people who are considered "ethnic" have to bear with, into
subtler, but just as annoying facts of life. I for instance am often
complemented on my 'good english' in a rather patronizing manner. (I
have two B.A.'s and an M.A.- I have good English, and Spanish, and
Catalan. Those are my speaking languages, I can read a few more.) My
sister and I have also been offered jobs as maids when we were
shopping at Nordstrom's one day. Oh, and of course, at least once
every six months I am stopped in the neighborhood where I live and
asked to present the registration papers for my car. I don't drive a
flashy car or anything, but I do live in a mostly Anglo-Saxon
neighborhood. So you see, not only is the term "whatevver-American"
used as a self referencing label which we place on ourselves, it is
also a label that other people use because yes, we are "different"
than what is normally conceived as the "normal" American society.
Inherent in this explanation, is the understanding that though the US
is composed of immigrants, we do not live in a melting pot society
nor do we always feel completely at ease. (Oh, and before I forget,
let me just say that this is does not mean that everybody is racist or
prejudiced in the US. I would like to make this clear. However, the
society can act in this way and the local governments usually don't
know what to do with us.)
As the last note on this rather strange subject, let me just say that
I don't think that the French are rude at all. (Hi Karine! Hi
Avigail!) I've gotten quite a lot of help from people in France. Many
times people have gone completely out of their way just to help me and
make me feel comfortable. This hasn't always happened in other
countries I have lived in.
Well, that is all I have to add to this.
Alejandra
==
"All I have is the stubbornness of a mule; no, that's not quite all.
I also have a nose." - Albert Einstein
"Women are like tea bags. You don't know their strength until you get them in hot water." Mae West
Alejandra D. Blas 2 Avenue Pozzi di Borgo, 92210 Saint Cloud or 2088 Westminster Drive
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on Sat Jan 23 1999 - 12:01:30 PST