In the 1990s I worked for one year in a nursing home. I was astonished to find that most of the nursing assistants were from Africa. They had come here on student visas, went to school full-time, worked full-time, paid their expenses (and taxes) and sent money home. I learned a lot from them about America and the strength of human beings and my own immigrant heritage. I was amazed to realize how much they reminded me of my own father who immigrated from Denmark in 1929. Like him, they embraced education as a means to better one's lot in life. Like my dad, they were strict with their children and conservative in their lifestyle.
My dad, of course, was completely uncomfortable around black people. Their dads were completely uncomfortable around white people. Not against each other, but inexperienced and glad their children could do better than they could do at crossing the lines.
Today, I was thrilled to read that Hampton, a small town just outside St. Paul, Minnesota, has elected a Liberian-American mayor.
Another immigrant makes good!
The second best thing about this story is that Hampton is a mostly white community of 750 people and most of them grew up in Hampton.
Paye Flomo came to St. Paul from Liberia in 1985. In 2001, he became a citizen and he and his wife chose to build a house in Hampton because it was affordable. They say they were welcomed in the community from day one.
Good!
Astonishingly, he now works as a personal care assistant at a group home for the disabled. He went to private schools and graduated from business college in Monrovia, Liberia. Like so many immigrants, his overseas education does not translate here. Hopefully, the job of mayor comes with a salary.
Read the whole story at: Pioneer Press
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