This is a fun article about a Mexican from Texas assimilating into life in Alabama. DP
By Maximo Cantu, Huntsville Times
al.com: When you're born you don't get to choose your parents. You don't get to choose to be born to royalty, wealth and lineage. You have no say in whether your parents will be good or abusive.
You choose not your race or the color of your pigment, have no say in your gender, as well as no say in what country you're born in; you just are. As an adult or parent you ascertain what's best for yourself or your children based on what you know, what you have and what experiences you acquired through life, education and what your parents passed down to you.
Pause a moment and think of where you are, who you are, where you came from, where are you going? What is your purpose? Imagine yourself now in a poor village on a south sea island drinking a Coke of all things. You're huddled around the only TV within miles, with 25 of your relatives, watching people wearing clothes that cost you a month's salary.
Unless you're a Native American, you are an immigrant.
As for me, a Hispanic from Texas via Ohio, assimilation into Alabama culture has been an interesting trip. When first asked by an acquaintance about moving to Alabama I pictured flat cotton fields, unbearable weather and, yes, ignorance in the form of racism.
I'm Mexican. They will string me up, I thought. OK, so I'm the ignorant one. I was so wrong, Alabamians have been very friendly.
And part of the assimilation process was worshipping three people, Bear Bryant, Dale Earnhardt and Jesus. In which order is up to debate, Jesus I know, Bear Bryant kinda, Dale? Well, at the time no clue.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
1 comment:
I grew up in Alabama, but I had to move to Memphis to learn who Dale Earnhardt was, and then only because he died.
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