This
memoir
of one specific immigrant
family
acclimating to U.S. life
shares
many common immigrant experiences/themes.
As an Iranian family dramatic contextual shifts are resultant of the
Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979 ,its 444 nights nightly news updates;
and again from 9/11 and the subsequent Gulf Wars. Dumas's
chosen
title implies a levity and lightness of subject manner that does
not always hold true. The shifting tides and prejudices confronted
are sobering,
occasionally
sad,
and
unfortunately still found in America. Her memoir is as relevant
today as 2003 when written.
Her
father Kazem’s episodes are central to much of the humor and you
love the guy. And her mother, Nazireh, could in may instances simply
be replaced by dear mother June it would not necessitate changing
many of the facts or responses to the situations, she is simply
delightful.
Several stories resonated louder than others:
Bowling
for Dollars
–My
you could not be of my generation and not watched this compelling
action=packed sporting event. LOL. My wife and I are of similar age
having been raised states apart but had shared viewing experiences –
neither of us, however, ever convinced a father to go on the show.
Price
Club is to Kazem what Costco is to Dale.
No finer store in America. No
better retail experience throughout the globe. Not replaceable by the
internet. A source of a multitude of ‘you wont believe this one
type' of stories.
Alliance
Francaise The
mission of the Alliance Française is to promote the French language
and francophone cultures and to foster exchanges between French and
francophone cultures and to foster exchanges between French speakers
and local communities. As such,
Firoozeh’s
adventures abroad to France at age 17 seem completely unbelievable
‘incroyable
mais vrai’,
except when taken in view of my own at age 18 living in Paris. One of
which I’ll share here so somewhere in the future my descendants
might laugh.
I
was France for a 6 month Semester abroad with BYU. We, a group of BYU
students none of whom I knew before, stayed in a pension near the
Luxemburg Garden, attended class at The Sorbonne and the Alliance.
Before classes started we had a few free
days which
I spent mainly in the library in the alliance studying French. One
day while sitting at the common desk a guy, a
little older
than I, sat across from me and we
spoke
in English. We shared our common experiences, where we were from (he
from Portugal) and why we were there. He was in Paris as well to
learn French the
language, history and of the French culture. He had learned quite a
bit of French already
and was
fairly fluent and not textbook reading, but speaking. He
came speaking no french and offered
to help me learn the language the
same as he.
His offer was for me to move in with his girlfriend why he went home
for a week. He said with a week of pillow talk I’d be able to
master the French language rough enough to be able to converse with
anyone! I graciously thanked him for his offer; but said no he could
keep his girlfriend. I would learn the old-fashioned way. It
worked for me just fine any way. I end up learning French by
textbooks and practicing in school rooms, babysitting
my professor’s kids and
reading to
them
out loud little kid books with them correcting me, not in
bedrooms.
Ah bien!
College
essays - Firoozeh
apparently
tried every job and part time job and scheme to raise money for
college tuition. Ultimately she discovered the key was the personal
experience essay of an immigrant, Iranian, girl. The liberation of a
good essay and testing scores allowing one to chose the college and
expedience of choice reminded of our son who did likewise and had
many a scholarship sent his way. (though he had successfully raised
funds through lawn care as well as his brother’s.)
The
book, I totally enjoyed. For the stories it told, the remembrances it
stirred and the pondering of the immigrant nation we live in, a
worthy read.
