Member-only story
My American Immigrant Experience
How I was taught about the idealistic “melting pot” and how that comes short
When I was going to grade school, I lived in New York City. This is significant for immigrants because Ellis Island used to be a main hub for people entering the United States. New York is also the location of the Statue of Liberty, which is supposed to welcome people to American shores. Nowadays, people come here via airports, with JFK still being a main hub for people from places as diverse as India, Nigeria, or Italy.
As a child, I had classmates from Greece, Nicaragua, Italy, Colombia, Jamaica, Germany, Russia, Pakistan, and various other countries. My parents were Hindus from India, but my best friend in grade school was a Muslim from Pakistan. My mother also made Muslim friends.
While in their homelands, there was tension between Pakistan and India, those prejudices were left behind. My mother also made friends with people of different castes, which was unthinkable in India at that time.
In college, I had a Chinese friend who dated a Japanese girl. His parents hated the Japanese but he’d left the animosity behind.
This is one of the most wonderful things about America — people can leave behind old hatreds.
