Every morning when I go for my long daily walk around the neighborhood, I see several Mexican gardeners hard at work cutting grass, blowing leaves and keeping the area nice and pleasant for me and my neighbors. They are usually hard at work and don’t even notice me when I quickly walk by them.
A few months ago, something changed. Right after Trump started talking about Mexicans as rapists and criminals, and “we need to build a wall to keep them out and protect ourselves”, I noticed that as I was walking by the Mexicans gardeners of my neighborhood, they would stop and look at me, as if they were trying to read my mind; “Does he think that I am a rapist and a criminal?”
And I would look at them with a big smile and say, “hola amigo buenos dias.”
You see, their stress and anxiety is very familiar to me. I was a student when the gang in Iran took over the US Embassy. And in a matter of days, all of a sudden, the Americans realized that there were tens of thousands of students from the hostage-taking land living among them on campuses and college towns. We were right there, living under their noses and they wanted to know who we were and what we thought about the chants, the flag burnings and the parade of the blind-folded Americans in front of the angry mobs and the world cameras.
There were also some violent acts against us, but in all, there was an overwhelming feeling of shame and helplessness that we all felt that made many of us unhappy and depressed. Here we were the guests of this great country, learning at their institutions, and enjoying a relatively quiet and comfortable lives, and on the other side of the world, our countrymen were doing such shameful acts to the innocent hostages.
Trump said whatever he wanted to say and did whatever he wanted to do to get elected and he did. But he left deep wounds. Not for a second, he thought about the Mexican kid that will be subjected to bullying in school, or the parents who have to worry about their kids’ safety when they walk to school. He never thought about the Mexicans that work all over this country in the kitchens, front yards or the fields. He didn’t care about the Mexican guys who skillfully put Koobideh on skewers at popular Iranian restaurants or make sushi at my favorite Japanese hangout. He just didn’t care.
We are better than this. America is better than this.
Picture: My Pomegranate Tree
Faramarz jan: well said. People should not be vilified, abused and made scapegoats for political gains.
Trump has openned the flood-gates of racism in one of the most democratic countries of the world, with least problems from migrants and Muslims. Only god knows how Germany and Europe may follow in his dirty footsteps, in their coming elections.
The brown-face and black-head Persians, who think that we are immune from this new wave of racism, are gravely mistaken. Hate is like fire, when it gets going, no one will be safe.
The undercurrent of racism and hate has always been around in this country. Read this article. It puts the whole thing in perspective:
http://billmoyers.com/story/farewell-america/
George W. Bush reacts to Trump's electoral win ...
These are some negative aspects of Trump presidency. Now, let's talk about positive sides.
Unlike Obama, Trump won't flrit with criminal mullahs in Iran. More important, N.I.A.C will be crushed very soon. No Swedish meat ball in Washington D.C or any link of Mullahs lobby in white house anymore.
T.P will be out of job. lol...
Funds from Mullahs to T.P via Bonyad Alavi in New York would be under scurtiny.
It appears Trump doesn't like jews either because Netanyahu didn't appear to be happy for his presidentcy, so criminal mullahs don't have excuse to associate America with Zionist.. and all of those garbages.
Dear Siavash
The list of the negatives is much longer than you stated and your list of positives is more like a wish list and a prayer.
Let's come back in a few months and see what has been delivered on the list of the campaign promises.
Faramarz,
I appreciate the sentiment but in all fairness the two stories have little in common. Before the slimic repubic took over Iranians were overwhelmingly studends (more than any other country at the time) and professionals. After devolution we have consistently got more of the same (Iran has typically ranked in top 5 on Brain drain index) plus some rif raf and lots of islamists as well (hypocrits and IR funded/nokars and kolfats). Iranians in large assimilate and except at concert time or special occasions don't wave Irani flag or brag about Iran nor have a Chicano like culture (Tehrangeles excepted).
Mexican is similar to Afghani in Iran. It is also true that in places like California they have taken over and operate like in Mexico and have strong mafias and gangs and there are many no English zones. They also claim California to be theirs and...and post Trump are protesting with Mexican flags that hardly endears them to anyone let alone the rednecks that just took over the country.
Siavash, Bush huffed and puffed too while working with the rapist regime. Trump can only screw things up to IR's advantage and overestimation of American power (military and economic) is what Bush and Neocons gifted us endng with financial crisis. Trump group is even more rabid and incompetent.
One has to be American or, at least, live in the country to fully comprehend. Not my case. ;)
Nicely put, Faramarz.
PS. I'm back in Croatia (Dalmatia rather) and my P. tree is nicer than yours.
WOW Rea is back!
Welcome back and it’s great seeing you again. I hope that you are done with Guadeloupe and are happy back in Croatia.
Your pomegranate tree might be nicer but mine produces the best and the tastiest pomegranates!
Sorry I can't relate to this, I cut my own grass ,clean my own yard , I do my own land scaping , prune the trees and when I need help I hire people with appropriate wages which is expensive to say the least.
This phenomena of cheap Mexican Labor is a California thing. cheap labor has political, social, cultural and econminc consequences for a nation, be it Trump or mother teresa as president.