America’s Irresistible Attraction

America continues to attract like a magnet. Getting the Green Card was like the end of a very long journey but it turned out to be just the beginning of another odyssey. After the long years of patient wait and finally landing in the US, the new immigrant, like a toddler making the first tentative steps in life, timidly enters the rat race. This race is like a dance; a moment spent observing and studying the steps taken by those already in it goes a long way to enhance one’s performance. One of the earliest things to do is to get a social security number and possibly enroll in a school, especially to acquire a working language and elements of the métier of one’s choice. The gymnastics of getting employment to earn one’s keep and to find accommodation are the first challenges. Should one get a job first and then look for an apartment or the other way around? Should one get a car first, and then look for a job, or the other way round? The bills will start coming in soon. Oh, yes there are lots of bills to be paid –groceries, mortgage, telephone, television, health insurance, appropriate winter outfit and more. With time there will also arise the need to look back at those dear ones left behind – the extended family, friends, local community and probably the government. But first, it is important to disabuse oneself of the false notion that American government will be Father Christmas, providing everything for free. In America there is no free lunch and so we learn to earn our keep!

The United States is not a utopia and living here is not quite the nirvana once imagined from back home but the imperfections have not stopped people from doing everything possible to get along. The melting pot lingo may no longer be abuzz the way it used to be, but the idea lives on in spite of the many hurdles along the way. Short term visitors, permanent residents and those that have gained citizenship can contribute in important ways. Whereas under other skies dissidents are treated as deviants, here in America they are considered different and given First Amendment protection for articulating their concerns. The rise from relative obscurity of Scott Brown of Massachusetts to become a US senator, of Arnold Schwarzenegger to become the governor of California and finally of Barack Obama to the presidency of the US are powerful messages to the world that, in spite of the many hurdles the system actually works to bring out the best in its people. The particular election cycle that led to Barack Obama becoming America’s 44th president was very enriching. Once naturalized, citizens have the right to get involved with the politics of choosing who represents them at local, state and national levels, and be voted themselves if they show leadership qualities!

Family members and friends back at home do turn to resident immigrants for help in overcoming visa requirements. Some ask for direct financial assistance to make the life at home a little more livable and home remittances make up a good chunk of the home country’s outlays. Successful immigrants might even invite leaders of the opposition and ruling parties back at home to come and witness American democracy in action. A stay here in the US, no matter how brief, especially during crucial elections, can help politicians see and explore plenty of opportunities to help straighten up things back at home. Nothing is better than the vast market place of ideas during election campaigns, opinion polls and other activities that enable citizens and those seeking power to gauge each others’ needs. Such visits can help narrow the huge gaps that often exist between rival parties who indeed might have a lot in common yet resort to gun battles and other unorthodox means to get to power.

In spite of its many recent problems, American democracy remains a beacon for many in the world. Individuals rise to personal challenges and through team work, are able to go beyond personal needs to those of the community, the nation and the world beyond. When Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, one of the first calls he received was from his GOP rival John McCain, and then he appointed archrival, Senator Hillary Clinton his Secretary of State. President Obama has since used his predecessors –Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Jimmy Carter - in various missions around the world. What could be better than transplanting such practices to Egypt, Ivory Coast, Iran, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Haiti and others where former presidents hardly exist?

But people need to know that living in America has its challenges – challenges not often imagined when the desire to immigrate pushes them to cross deserts, oceans and unfriendly skies. America makes quite an effort to provide for everybody but it is certainly not a bed of roses the way people often imagine before arriving here. Only by eating the pudding do we quite come to terms with its taste, isn’t it? An important lesson that America teaches its citizens and citizens of other nations is choice, competition and freedom of the press. In science as in arts, in music as in dance, in politics as in economics, competition improves the quality of what people do. It is the antithesis of monopoly which often stymies quality improvement and subjects people to stagnation and substandard life. From the top, leaders learn to accede to elective office by submitting themselves to the rigors of election campaigns. Once they win by healthy competition they are more likely to encourage healthy competition in all spheres of life that impact the lives of the citizens – at school, at work, on playgrounds, at campsites, market places and others. Hardworking people who are prepared to put aside all past glories - big academic diplomas from home or previous important positions - and get involved with the very basics do succeed. Attending school enhances job prospects but even without it there are opportunities that provide on-the-job training. Some people choose to make a living by panhandling, others by collecting bottles and selling them to recycling plants and still others by karaoke, the only drawback being their inability to afford health insurance for the rainy day. To live in America without health insurance is reckless. For those who want the big bucks, Hollywood, sports, the music industry and Wall Street are the places to go The incestuous staffing of public or private enterprises with persons drawn largely from the blood lines of those at the helm is doubly tragic for nationhood – not only are well deserving and meritorious congeners left out of the show, often mediocrity goes unpunished for fear of hurting village ancestors dead and alive. Getting the job of one’s dream is one thing; keeping it is a different ball game altogether.