Through the Veil of Chaos
From Shelter to Seeing
Chaos,
too often these days.
Each day is
a bait and switch a
backpedaling of values
of morals.
People kidnapped off the street.
Fear is spreading fire
into the veins of everyday life.
We are being starved
of the freedom
to be ourselves.
People are dying of hunger
and disease needlessly
because of revenge,
hatred and racism.
Funding withdrawn
lives catapulted
into thin air.
For what, efficiency?
Learning is obstructed.
The arts in limbo.
Destruction
in every direction.
Laws ignored,
rights denied.
Liberty
is in question.
For those willing to wade through the present and unending malaise of chaos, let’s direct our thoughts toward the love of community and some humanity.
As I reside comfortably and safely in my whiteness, two Hispanic women were sitting on the wooden fence across from my house the other day. They had just dropped a housekeeping business card on my doorstep without knocking. Did they assume I was not home? Why didn’t they ring the doorbell? They may not speak English or be shy and afraid. I don’t know.
I was leaving to attend my Spanish class when I noticed them. What a strange coincidence. I’ve not seen them in the neighborhood before, but I’m new to the area. They looked pretty young, maybe high school age. It was early afternoon, so you’d think they would be in school. Many questions went through my overactive mind.
If I had time, would I have talked with them? Would I have practiced what Spanish I know? I admit to being hesitant to speak Spanish to those who know the language well.
About once a week, Hispanic-based businesses leave their cards on our doorstep. I would hire their services if we didn’t have this insufferable need to be responsible for our own home's indoor and outdoor chores, at least for now.
I walk to my Spanish class, wondering about those two young women in this current political climate. Are they safe in our community? Are they getting harassed as much of the rest of the country? I haven’t heard anything on the local news.
What do they want to do with their lives? Work in the family housecleaning business, or do they have other, more lofty dreams? Do they feel there are other opportunities available for them?
Growing up in a white dominated community, I was shielded from knowing anything about the lives of those who were not white. Fortunately, in my adult life, I have lived in areas with diverse populations. I’ve also read a great deal of literature, taken college courses on ethnicity and other cultures, and traveled. Still, I haven’t lived among nonwhite groups or been exposed to their daily life on the regular. So, I can’t say anything of substance in that regard.
If you have not lived it, you don’t know what you don’t know. Your next step is to seek credible information to minimize your fear of the uncertainty.
I read Soldier and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling by Jason De Leon. Jason, a professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles, lived among a group of smugglers in Latin America. The book was a lesson in the complexities of migration issues. It is a fascinating and heartbreaking read about the realities of why people migrate and the lengths they will go to leave horrible living situations. It is a difficult read and not for the faint of heart.
I bring up this book because it is an example of someone who embedded themselves with a particular ethnic group to learn firsthand how they lived. As an anthropologist, it was essential for Mr. De Leon to report and relay this information for the benefit of his students, readers, and the world, so that we could gain a glimpse of reality.
In the 1980s, I taught in an after-school program at one of New Orleans’ public schools, located in the heart of the city. The school was made up of mostly poor children from black neighborhoods (the projects) and poor white neighborhoods. Most of the teaching staff were black, but there were also white and Hispanic teachers. If you want to know what kids are going through or what is on their minds, give them some paper, paint, and crayons. You will gain insight into their rapidly developing brains and how they perceive their world.
I had to confer with my supervisor on several occasions due to some of the kids’ unsettling visualizations.
Living in New Orleans gave me a front row seat to racism, classism, bigotry, economic deprivation, and all that goes with those issues. It was a lesson in the realities that have existed for a long time, and why I’m grateful to have moved from my sheltered conservative upbringing to create a more liberal mindset.
I enter the Spanish class where the instructor, a former elementary teacher, is offering this class free of charge. The class began with 25 students. Now, there are 10-15 hearty souls left. Some are taking the class to sharpen their Spanish skills, others have friends or family members who speak Spanish, and still others want to challenge their brains. We are all over 55.
A room full of citizens wanting to embrace diversity and inclusivity for the sake of humanity.
Such a strange dichotomy of ideals is playing out all around us. A small percentage of people live in fear of those who are different from them. Most people want to spread the concept of loving and helping our neighbors, and being open, regardless of skin color, economic status, heritage, or religion. Recognizing these differences makes us better individuals, strengthens our citizenry, and encourages humanity.
I am one of those individuals.
Thank you for reading and following my writing.