In a few hours there will be at least 1,245,768 lists on the Internet re-tracing the most memorable moments of 2010. My list skips across genres and continents and, sadly, I’ve had to fact check some of the events because I’ve reached an age in which I can no longer distinguish between what happened one year ago or three years ago.
The Earthquake in Haiti sent a huge ripple effect throughout the entire Haitian Diaspora. Up until January 12th, many of us, children of Haitian parents, pretty much lived our lives concerned about Haiti but not as committed to its future as we were after this horrific natural disaster. My subsequent trip to Haiti changed my life in more ways than I can describe in a blog post. Let's just say that there is quite a difference between understanding poverty and experiencing it.
Bill Clinton's admission to dumping subsidized US rice in Haiti and destroying the local rice market there was, unfortunately, heard by only a few and came a little too late. Still this also sticks out in my mind when I think back on 2010 and I wish this example could be hammered into the same heads of anti immigration Americans who can't see the role the US plays in forcing people to leave their homelands.
The closest law to healthcare for all Americans was signed, allowing Barack Obama to hold true to one of his most important election promises. The bill was imperfect but certainly came closer to anything every politician knows (even if she/he won’t admit it publically) belongs in every democracy. The USA belongs to the minority of wealthy democracies that do not guarantee healthcare for all of its citizens. It is still unfathomable to me that so many Americans could be brainwashed into believing that healthcare for every American is „ unpatriotic“ and „unconstitutional“ but I think it will be one of those aspects of history that we’ll look back on and shake our heads at how ignorant our fellow citizens once were.
Ditto for the recent turn over of „ Dont’ Ask Don’t Tell,“ doing away with a despicable and discriminatory law that prevented gay soldiers from serving openly. I think it is deplorable enough that young servicemen and women are lied to and told they are „fighting for democracy“ yet they don’t have the right to be openly gay Americans. It was a ridiculous paradox and another major accomplishment of Barack Obama’s presidency. . . now, if Obama would just send all troops, gay, straight, bi-sexual back home and out of harm’s way. . . . .
Julian Assange's Saga. I am still put off by his arrogance but I do believe Assange's work is undeniably useful. I hope Wikileaks won’t ever replace solid investigative journalism because I think information should be parsed critically and Wikileaks has yet to do that.
The year multiculturalism “failed” in Germany. Having half German children, this statement felt like a big slap in the face. I actually support much of Angela Merkel’s platforms and I felt her statement disrespected those of us in Germany struggling to raise our children to love their non-German as well as their German heritage. Sarrazin’s book was annoying but unsurprising. Hearing „ multiculti has failed“ coming from such a rational, otherwise diplomatic and level-headed politician like Angela Merkel was a big disappointment. . . .if she could have only seen me cheering the German national soccer team with my kids when we were in the USA. . .
Watching the German team play so well was also definitely a highlight in my family. I have three boys and soccer is a significant part of their lives when there aren't three feet of snow on the ground. The World Cup was a constant source of conversation as well as an opportunity for my children to see the diversity that exists outside of Germany. My sons saw many African teams, different European teams and many South American teams and they heard a variety of names that hinted at just how large the world is. It was a great educational experience for them.
The year I finally published my book. Most writers never see their work come to life in a major publishing company and I had the privilege of not only seeing my work in print, but having had an awesome tour, thanks mostly to the US Embassies in Berlin and Austria for making it possible. Thanks also to the DAI's in Hamburg, Nurnberg and Stuttgart.
Happy New Year! Bonne Annee und Guten Rutsch!
12/31/2010
12/27/2010
12/17/2010
Germany's Best Selling Sentiment?
It was only a matter of time before the numbers started spilling . . . it appears that my long lost relative (my mother's maiden name was also Sarrazin) has made himself a millionaire by playing on fears of Germans who think immigrants will destroy the future of this country.
Four months and one and a half million copies later, Thilo Sarrazin's book, "Germany Does Away with Itself," is a household name and apparently on coffee tables all over the country.
As far as I know, no one has kept statistics on the most common response to his book, but I'm guessing the bestseller is, "But everyone was thinking it, Sarrazin just had the guts to say it."
If that is the case, then the road to German integration is going to be a hell of a lot longer than I thought.
Four months and one and a half million copies later, Thilo Sarrazin's book, "Germany Does Away with Itself," is a household name and apparently on coffee tables all over the country.
As far as I know, no one has kept statistics on the most common response to his book, but I'm guessing the bestseller is, "But everyone was thinking it, Sarrazin just had the guts to say it."
If that is the case, then the road to German integration is going to be a hell of a lot longer than I thought.
12/13/2010
Sarah Palin in Haiti?
So the first question that naturally comes to mind is, WTF??? Since when did Palin ever express interest (or knowledge, for that matter) in any country outside of the USA?
The second question is, of course, what exactly is her agenda? A journalist friend of mine in Port-au-Prince said Palin is not speaking to Haitian journalists or any media outlet not affiliated with Fox News.
I made the mistake of posting my sentiments on Facebook and the conservative contingent (from my high school) came after me. "That's not very nice. . .why can't conservatives do good deeds without being questioned. . ." and my favorite, "Beggars can't be choosy. . ."
Beggars can't be choosy? Listen, Haitians may be poor but they are not stupid. Even Salvation Army/Caritas doesn't accept donated clothes with holes in them. Sure, Haitians will take help where it comes, but they're certainly not naive enough to believe that Sarah Palin is the next Mother Theresa who will be their savior on earth.
Haitians know that Palin is helping Haiti to help herself, just like the other slew of celebrities who have made an appearance there, to be seen helping Haiti.
Haiti is now on the checklist of every celebrity do-gooder. Hey, if it sends more money (whether or not it actually gets there is another story) and attention to Haiti, then great. But let's be clear that nobody is fooled, especially not the Haitian people.
The second question is, of course, what exactly is her agenda? A journalist friend of mine in Port-au-Prince said Palin is not speaking to Haitian journalists or any media outlet not affiliated with Fox News.
I made the mistake of posting my sentiments on Facebook and the conservative contingent (from my high school) came after me. "That's not very nice. . .why can't conservatives do good deeds without being questioned. . ." and my favorite, "Beggars can't be choosy. . ."
Beggars can't be choosy? Listen, Haitians may be poor but they are not stupid. Even Salvation Army/Caritas doesn't accept donated clothes with holes in them. Sure, Haitians will take help where it comes, but they're certainly not naive enough to believe that Sarah Palin is the next Mother Theresa who will be their savior on earth.
Haitians know that Palin is helping Haiti to help herself, just like the other slew of celebrities who have made an appearance there, to be seen helping Haiti.
Haiti is now on the checklist of every celebrity do-gooder. Hey, if it sends more money (whether or not it actually gets there is another story) and attention to Haiti, then great. But let's be clear that nobody is fooled, especially not the Haitian people.
12/05/2010
Haiti in Austria
Who knew that I would find Haitian gems in a snowy town in Austria?
I was invited to particpate in a reading of Haitian authors, as part of a two-day symposium about Haiti entitled: A Forgotten Country between Europe and the Americas.
I was a bit humbled to be reading alongside Haitian literary greats like Dany Laferrière and Louis-Phillipe Dalembert . But before the reading even began the star authors went out of their way to introduce themselves and embraced me like I was an old cousin. My French, un-used in a while, was shaky but by the time we arrived at the Literatur Haus, we were doing the "Do you know. . ." game all Haitians play. In no time, we were joking in Kreyol.
On the one hand, I felt a little insecure because I, admittedly, don't know Haiti that well. The place I know as home, is really the United States; French and Kreyol are not the languages in which I feel most comfortable.
But none of this mattered, to them or to me. The connection I felt was immediate and incredibly comforting. Even though I read in English and German (they read in French and had German translations) and I could find my way around Berlin better than I could Port-au-Prince, we were relatives.
Both Laferrière and Dalembert live abroad, as do too many of Haiti's great minds. So perhaps that is why they were so understanding of my distance from Haiti.
I often wonder what I would have been like had I grown up in Haiti, had Duvalier not forced so many Haitians into exile? Hans Christoph Buch , the well-known German journalist who often writes about Haiti said at the reading, "Haitian literature is often written abroad."
Thank you Innsbruck for the reunion!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)