Walk through a mall today, drive down a residential street, or turn on a television program, and you will see the American flag. My fear is that as it hangs, many forget the meaning that lies beneath the stars and stripes. Read the stories below of three Tufts students' experiences coming to this country and what distinguishes America becomes clear. These stories of sacrifice, of struggle, and ultimately, of success, represent a tiny fraction of the stories on our campus and throughout our country.
The American experience is why they covet our technology in China, why they burn our flag in Iraq, and why two planes flew into the World Trade Center last month. Our freedom is a threat to the control of oppressive rulers around the world.
Chau Hua, a senior majoring in French, was born to parents who escaped North Vietnam's communist regime. After the government prevented the couple from living together, they decided to leave. Mr. Hua secured enough gold to buy four spots on a small boat leaving for Malaysia.
"My uncle left his family to board one of those boats and nobody ever heard from him again; my parents would have chosen death over a life of oppression," said Chau. They boarded the boat late one night with their two children and a few valuables.
During the two-day journey, Mr. and Mrs. Hua refused to eat in order to feed their children instead. When the boat docked in Malaysia, border patrols forced it back to sea. They drifted for three days, during which time pirates confiscated all their valuables, and when the boat finally returned to Malaysia, everyone quickly descended to land before officials could reject their re-entrance to the country.
Chau's parents waited at a Malaysian UNICEF refugee camp until they were granted permission to enter the US. Upon arriving in New York, they received government assistance from programs that included ESL courses, a sponsoring American family, and free clothing from the Salvation Army. During the last 20 years, they have immersed themselves in American culture. To this day, an American flag appears in Mr. Hua's car window.
Daniel Bakalarz is a junior whose family immigrated from Colombia when he was 15. "The reason why my family moved to this country was because of the enormous freedom and sense of security it offers. Every day was scary, not knowing who was going to be murdered or kidnapped or mugged, etc. Just driving with the windows down is a freedom that Americans take for granted."
Daniel's family still owns a shoe factory in Colombia, and his father commutes from Miami to run the business. Security concerns forced him to hire personal security when he travels to Colombia. Daniel fears for his father's safety every time he leaves.
Though the Bakalarz's face fewer economic struggles adapting to life in America, in conversations, Daniel constantly confronts the "drug-dealer" stereotype applied to his father, who risks his life and left his country in the name of providing for his family. In the future, Daniel plans to globalize his family's business, Stanton & Co.
Last August, Yoni Gorelov signed a contract to begin working at Lehman Brothers in New York City after graduation. His path to Wall Street was paved by his grandfather, who moved to Israel in 1974 after spending eleven years in a Russian prison for being Jewish. Yoni lived in Israel until his parents moved the family to the US in 1989.
He sometimes considers returning to Israel, though his father warns him that, "life here is easier because you don't have to worry about dying from a suicide bomber on a daily basis and your kids aren't always on the front lines."
Though America has become his home, transitioning from life in Israel to a suburban New Jersey town was not easy for Yoni, who arrived at age nine without a command of the English language. He admits that his "first couple of years in America were really tough."
Today, he is aware of the sacrifices made by previous generations in his family. Yoni says the most satisfying part of being an immigrant in America is "knowing that the doors that are open are far greater than anything your parents had. There's an innate appreciation for your parents that develops, because you realize that they gave up so much just so your life can be easier."
No discussion of the opportunities that abound in America should ignore those who were brought here by force or who inhabited this land before Europeans killed most of them. While the treatment of African and Native Americans includes the worst of our nation's past and their journey continues to be an uphill battle, their quest for the opportunities open to Chau, Daniel, and Yoni's families continues to be America's quest.
The opportunities that make it possible, even probable, for our children to live better than we have is what makes this place different.
