President Trump criminalized illegal
aliens—again—today. The two pictures in my post tell very different stories.
My Dad came to America illegally. He
kept this a secret until late in his life, when my Mom pestered him to apply
for Social Security. He had lied about his age when he came to America in 1949.
That is because Jews over 18 years of age were barred entry.
My Dad served in the intelligence unit
of the U.S. Army during the Korean War. His knowledge of Hungarian and
smatterings of eastern European dialects was helpful to a military engaged in
the Cold War.
After leaving the Army, he started a
construction business. He credited Hitler with teaching him the construction
business. Seriously. That’s how people survive concentration camps: they look
for the smallest ray of hope (my Dad was in a camp that built camouflaged
planes).
The sign above my Dad’s desk? “IMPOSSIBLE
is a word found only in the dictionary of fools.”
***
Most illegal aliens come to the U.S. with legal papers, typically a tourist visa. They overstay their visit ... and blend in, hoping not to be caught. No wall will stop this.
Many illegal aliens change their names. The nameplate on my Dad's desk is: Robert LeRoy.
His actual name? Otto Lefkovitz.
LeRoy is not a Jewish name. It is a French name, "the king." An offshoot of the French Underground smuggled my Dad onto a trans-Atlantic steamer out of a grimy German port near Hamburg, Germany.... with false papers.
My Dad's story is typical-- more typical than the picture painted by President Trump.
Perhaps your ancestors came here illegally. And it's possible they didn't tell children and grandchildren, just like my Dad kept his past a secret.
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