What it Means to be an American

This has nothing to do with jewelry.

“The American Dream”. What does that mean to you? I think it depends partly on where you are in life and career. My involvement with some refugees over the past 6 months has provided a lens through which to re-evaluate ‘the dream’.

After living in UN refugee camps in Nepal  for 17 years, after being ethnically cleansed from Bhutan, 2 ethnic Nepali families arrived in Providence, RI. Providence, RI! Home of Mr. Potato Head (yes, it’s true). They came here with nothing. No stuff, most with no language or job skills and certainly no cultural clue. No community. They go to English class every day. Apply for a new job every day. Figure out how to get their kids in school, deal with the violence common in urban areas. Learn to use a stove. Everything is new. Everything. Supermarkets. Buses. Cable internet. The ocean! Its the ultimate culture shock. They have no money of their own and assistance from our government for about 6 months.

You know what? They LOVE IT here. For the first time in years they realize though they face gigantic obstacles they have more opportunity than ever. They control much of their own destiny. They are truly free. Free to survive, fail, thrive, try something new, waste their own money. A few months later… most of them have jobs, low wage, but it’s work. When I asked Narayan how work was going, he says, ‘it’s hard, my hands and feet hurt, but I like it… its new to us, we have not worked for 17 years.’ They love to travel down to the south of the state to visit us, see the ocean, just hang out. In many Asian cultures there is a certain degree of fatalism and I think that is favorable for their situations – they just do the best they can and don’t worry about that which they have no control over. But the level of optimism they all exhibit is truly inspiring. And they keep trying and building their lives from scratch.

There are now about 50 Nepali refugees in the city. When a new family comes to town some of them go to the airport to greet them and help them get their bearings while they get the newcomer gets the red-eye out. They are having a big party for their equivalent of Christmas this weekend. They are making their own community. I am so proud of them and really feel fortunate to witness this genesis of an American. True Americans. Because, at some point (For us Americans anyway) our families started out the same way.

Posted in Charity, Just Fun!, Politics of Jewelry