Journal of an Immigrant (kindle ebook)
@jerryshor
“Remenber, remenber always, that all of us, and you and I specially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” ―Franklin D. Roosevelt Since man left the trees where he lived, while still in the ape-man link, and went into the caves to have a better chance of surviving the dangers that lurked, he has dedicated his existence to finding better places to stay alive, develop and protect his assembly, moving constantly, depending on weather and food scarcity or abundance. History explains that it was at that point that, instigated by the need to have more and better space for their groups, man was overwhelmed by struggles between the various tribes. Those who lost the wars had two choices: they either assimilated into the winner’s tribe or left to search for new places. And on that journey they would find hospitable places, but these were many times already occupied by others. If that was the case, they had to make arrangements with the settlers there, reforming or changing their habits, but in turn influencing and changing the others as well. That was the way mankind grew, always with a larger and more powerful group that kept his people in a better social status than the less privileged citizens of smaller groups (old losers). The struggle for supremacy in the alpha group has been developing since the beginning of time, always assisted by the use of various forms of oppression, be it religious, social or political. Each group or ethnic group has created its own idiosyncrasies and when they become stronger they tend to dominate the weak and instill their ideas and cultures under the subterfuge of having the supreme truth, either in one or in all three forms. Immigrants bring new ideas, new ways of living and seeing the world. While assimilating to the receiving group, the immigrant will also transfer their ideas and customs to them. The proper melding of two different cultures is one of the main reasons why there are societies that are more advanced and powerful than others. Upon receiving a group that brings new ideas, the sedentary group modernizes and creates new tools and thoughts that will make that society as a whole more inclined to invent or improve what they already have, making the lives of their citizens easier. Man is a creature of habits and once he has been educated in a peculiar way, as an adult he finds it difficult to accept new ideas, considering them defective according to the rules of conduct inculcated in him by his ancestors, who lived in the same or similar conditions as he. It is precisely because of the change generated by incoming new groups that the concept of “culture shock” is bred. This novel-essay has not been written with the intention of undermining American culture, or extolling the patriotism of some, but just to give an idea of how this country is seen through the eyes of a newcomer. In these pages you will find the good, the bad and the ugly of both perspectives: the migrant and the receiver. It also shows the point of view of an immigrant under certain circumstances definitely tied to his past. Every wandering person who in search of his destiny crosses foreign borders brings with him different experiences that in turn influence the way other immigrants perform in the future. There are thousands of “journals of immigrants” and they all are helpful. This is my version. My intention is to show the reader a broader view, accepting the other, and learning from each of them. Because the more we learn from others, the better we will be as people. American countries, and among them the United States, are countries built by immigrants; who since the fifteenth century have come to its shores in various forms but always in search of freedom and progress. The vast majority, if not all initially, came to this country from the north, and we could say they settled in a “non-legal” way. The only really legitimate people in these lands are Native Americans, who ironically have been relocated to Indian reservations. America as a continent has grown in population due to the different waves of migrants, starting more than 10,000 years ago, when man crossed the Bering Strait during the last great Ice Age, to modern day immigrants who come from Asia, Europe, and Africa in search of freedom. And I hope that America is a continent that continues to lead as a land of immigrants with freedom, justice, and progress for all. Many thanks, Jerry Gómez Shor, Jr. http://www.amazon.com/Journal-immigrant-Jerry-Shor-ebook/dp/B00HLV8YC2/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1390614502&sr=8-6&keywords=jerry+gomez+shor
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