Been There, Done That: Nine Decades And Counting By Alice Herb: Where Would I Be Without The Immigrants In My Life

By Alice Herb

I have given serious thought to what would happen if all immigrants currently in the United States were to be deported. My independent life would simply evaporate. As an elderly person in need of assistance to support my independent life, I rely on the following: 

-My landlord is of Italian and Swiss heritage

-My super is of Guyanese origin

-My housekeepers were born in Guatemala/Colombia/Ecuador

-My hairdresser is of French birth, and his partner is of Swiss origin

-My manicurist is from Korea

-My house cleaners at my beach house are from Mexico/Ecuador

 -My cardiologist is Filipino

 -My ears/nose/throat doctor is of Asian Indian extraction

 -My eye doctor is Hispanic and so on…

Other caregivers include young women physicians who are from different minority groups. All of these people are either citizens, born in the US, or are now naturalized citizens or legal residents. 

Are we forgetting that Mrs. Trump is foreign-born or that Mrs.Vance is Asian Indian? Would they have to be deported as well? 

We should think through these un-American actions/laws that are being bandied about that would ruin the richness of this country.  We should all watch The Story of English, a 1986 series on now beleaguered public television that explained the richness of our language, our music, and our performing arts, given the influx of so many cultures. Why are we allowing our country to be brought to its knees? Remember, even our founding fathers were immigrants. 

All of the people I have just mentioned are real, live people with all the hopes, aspirations, worries that the rest of us have or had. I myself am an immigrant from Vienna, Austria, who, as I previously wrote, fled after Hitler and his Nazis annexed Austria and were preparing to launch World War II. 

If we get to know some of these people, we begin to wonder why we are disturbing their dreams and aspirations, and the economy they support. My best tale is that of my housekeeper, Dina, who came to this country as a young bride of a naturalized American citizen and, in time, became naturalized as well. She has been with me for almost 29 years. She has two children whom she adores and always dreamed that they would be educated and become successful citizens. This many years later, her dreams are being realized. Her older son has a doctorate in psychology, is married to a British national, has one son, and another baby on the way.  Both he and his wife are practicing therapists. Her other son is newly married and striving to succeed as a mid-level manager. Dina and her husband are planning to retire to their co-op apartment in New Jersey and spend their lives caring for their grandchildren and traveling to different parts of the world. 

My Guayan super, Soca, is actually South Indian and a Hindu, but has a Caribbean vibe. Most remarkably, he is a man of myriad talents. He can fix virtually anything, and is a gifted gardener with whom I share plantings for his home garden. He is always available to help me navigate the steps to my building and to make certain that I am okay. 

My hairdresser, Olivier, came here from France to learn and work with a Belgian transplant, Andre, who had become famous for his avant-garde work. He was one of the first in the 1980s to advocate for hair of many colors – a shocking sight at the time, but it is now an everyday choice. Olivier has established his own business with his Swiss partner, Sacha. He is married and is the proud father of two daughters, one of whom has blessed him with 4 gorgeous grandchildren.

My ears, nose, and throat specialist is from India. He and his son are Ivy League alums, while his daughter is a junior striving to join them. He is a much sought-after physician at New York Presbyterian.

I could go on, but the list is quite long. All I can say is that each of them has been a credit to this country and has contributed professionally while living the American dream.

Needless to say, I appreciate each of them not only for the services they perform but for having educated me in their cultures and allowed me into their lives. I would truly be impoverished on a virtual desert island without them.  

Alice Herb is a retired attorney, journalist, and bioethics consultant. Having reached the age of 90+, she’s more than ready to share her experiences and opinions with agebuzz readers. Want to comment on something she’s said? She welcomes your feedback at [email protected].

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