As I reflected on the race wars in the US after last night's post, something keeps coming back to me.
I see blacks who aren't from this country - they were born in Africa or - somewhere not on this continent. But I can see the difference between them and the blacks in this country just when they stand on a street corner.
They look happy.
They look glad to be here.
They look optimistic.
I was a translator for some political refugees from Africa at one point in my kaleidoscopic-colored and pattered life - much of Africa speaks French (HEY! I speak French!) and so I got to translate for them and help them assimilate into their lives in the U.S.
The Father, Mr. Denou, was a Command Sargent Major in the war in Togo over their army forces. He commanded several hundred thousand men, and with his children.....now....in a strange land, no bombs, no gunfire, no war, he was a janitor at night at one of the schools in New Orleans.
He pushed his kids to learn English and to be grateful they were here.
But the man knew what it was like to work. He knew what an opportunity it was for them to be here. He knew that for where they were from, coming to the U.S. simply doesn't "just happen." He didn't speak much English, he spoke a tribal dialect and French and pushed himself to be out so that he could provide for his children.
Interestingly, one night at Safeway in Beaverton, the African man at the checkout line had a French accent and I asked him "D'ou vous etes?" (Where are you from?). He told me from Togo in Africa.
I related that I knew the Denou family from Africa in New Orleans. He asked "De-Nou?" I said, "Yes!" and he said "I came here with him! We were close friends! How is he?"
Is it a small world or is it a small world?
Anyways, it was so interesting talking with Mr. Denou on the matters of Race in America.
He remarked on the race issues "That was so long ago. We have so much here. We need to be grateful. It happened a long time ago, we need to look to tomorrow and count our blessings. There are problems no matter where you go but this is the land of opportunity. You can be or do anything here."
Just yet another voice I've gotten to hear in my lifetime to add to my experiences.
I did meet a man who worked with the US military rocket program after WWII and worked with Warner Von Braun even and got to hear a first-hand account of what it was like to work with the Nazi's who became Americans after the war as well.
Not much to relate on that so I suppose I'll put it here. He did note that the Nais were much smarter than the Americans, and so were the communist scientists who defected. He said that the U.S. was spending tons of money on inertial guidance systems and the like for their rocket and missile programs and the Nazi scientists were asking "why don't you just point the damned thing the way you want it to go and then fire it rather than having it change course immediately after lift-off? We could have this done already if we'd just simplify it."
Its amazing if you talk to people who you'll meet. Even the most ordinary every-day people may have a fascinating story to tell. I've met people who's grandparents were slaves, others who's grandparents fought in the War Between the States. And much much more.
Just a thought.....
