By Nikita Boudreaux
Today, I was fortunate to meet a Mexican woman who represents my America. She reounted coming to America over streams and between bullets at 4 years old. "Raised traditional Mexican", she described as marrying at 18,having four kids before 25, and living a pessimistic life. She defied her ex-husbands howls to hold her back from becoming an RN.
Even though, always "the sister that always needed help", she never expected to become a homeowner but she gave in to a realtor friend who implored her to begin working on her credit. 7 months later, she is in the back of my Uber, selectively telling 1 friend she is going into escrow. In 7 months, this divorced mother of four paid her debts and saved enough for down on 450k home. Not only did she sacrifice, but her children as well! " I'm sorry no Christmas this year, we have to save guys" , she would say, but her 5 year old would respond, "It's ok, we will be happier later, right?" - no crying while driving uber. I asked how this might change her dating life, but she mentioned that she is dating a well to do Jewish guy who is also divorced with children as well. At at recent party at his home in Newport Beach, all of his friends treated her "like a novelty" and literally surrounded her. They were all rich and white and sincerely asking her feelings about Trump, but simultaneously making Tequila jokes, etc. about being Mexican. She said she laughed to be agreeable, which I responded, "have you ever considered that you live as a 2nd class citizen?" Of course she said no, but I asked her if she had ever taken the 'White Temperature" of a room, waiting to see how one will interact with you so you know your place with them. She gasped and said she had been doing it her whole life bc her mom sent her to a white school in junior high. "We must conform to be in their presence, in their places, however the same is not true for them in our places", I said. I ended the ride by elating that her story needed to be heard and shared as a true voice of a naturalized American. She may be the 1st of my Coming to America series... #rollingpapers
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