Friday, September 28, 2012

Unexpected Oral History


Whilst having dinner at The Café – the coffee shop at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas – I was “treated” to a brief oral history of a family that had moved from Valencia, Spain to Guadalajara, Mexico in the early 20th Century.
It’s not that I was eavesdropping, it’s just that the acoustics were such that I could hear the conversation of that nice gray-haired lady sitting at the table just down the aisle from me. That’s her, with her face blurred to protect her identity, because one never knows who might be reading this blog (I don’t mean to disparage you, of course).
The story was kind of interesting, about how the family settled in Mexico. I think she said her great-grandfather came over with nothing, then her great-grandmother joined him a year or so later, bringing their kids over with her.
Despite their struggles in their new land, they persevered, and then eventually some of them immigrated to the United States. “Legally, of course,” the lady stressed. “And they worked hard,” she added. Funny how those were the only phrases I recollected verbatim out of her whole story. Guess a little bit of illegal immigration prejudice shows in my thinking.
Anyway … it renewed my faith in America, that we still attract hard-working families who want a better life and are willing to sacrifice for it, adding to the strength of our country.

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