Where’s the New Promise Land?
Filed Under (Random Posts, Transitions) by admin on 12-11-2008
Tagged Under : jobs
America: The Land of Opportunity-Then and Now
With the Obama win last week, I think people worldwide feel that America is embarking on some changes. I am optimistic as are I’m sure millions of you, that the change is all for the better in the long run. And well, with this feeling I got a bit melancholy and I don’t know why, but I thought about my grandparents who left their home countries to come to America for a better life. Three of my four grandparents went through Ellis Island. One grandpa was 10 years old when he came to America from Liverpool. My other grandfather and grandmother came separately, three years apart, from Milan in their early 20’s. What an adventure. I don’t know if I could have been that courageous.
Off the Boat Full of Hopes and Dreams
With this thought, I was wondering what they must have heard about America. What “grass was greener” that they endured incredible hardships to come to the new promise land. Maybe they heard that there were plenty of jobs. Or that you could become something in the democratic country. Or that there was plenty of land. I guess maybe what sealed the deal was that they must have heard there was much opportunity.
It’s been exactly 100 years since they came to this country. They settled in Northern Minnesota with barely a dime in their pockets and they worked hard. It wasn’t an easy life that they led and they lived through the depression and sending their boys to war. But all their kids did well and had better lives then they did and I guess we need to thank them for our opportunities when we are reunited in heaven.
I guess I thought about this because if there was a country out there that offered such promises now, I might be tempted to go there too. If there was a place where jobs were plentiful and guaranteed, it would be a consideration. So I understand why they suffered these terrible voyages to America.