Tag Archives: Prejudice

The Dementia Dossier: Poor Bank

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Returning from an errand to the post office, I was explaining to my mother some aspects of my new work as an immigration attorney.  After leaving a 32-year career as a municipal government attorney, the director of the non-profit No More A Stranger Foundation (NOMAS) asked if I would consider starting a new career and working for her as an immigration attorney.  (I had volunteered there for a couple of years.)  NOMAS helps people with their immigration applications to legalize their status, at no charge to the clients.  The work would be part-time and paid “low-bono” (not quite pro-bono, but nearly).  I help prepare applications for naturalization, green cards, work permits, asylum, human trafficking visas, crime victim visas, student visas, and many others.  I am having to learn immigration law from scratch, and the Administration’s frequent policy changes aren’t making the learning easy.  Immigrants, whether in the U.S. lawfully or not, face real financial and social hardships.  They contribute to the economy and community, but often have the lowest-paying jobs and suffer discrimination, bigotry, and isolation.  NOMAS attorneys (a few) and volunteers (many) do what we can to legalize the status of immigrants so they can have improved quality of life.  As a sidebar story, our local Wells Fargo branch closed.  Mom and I knew the manager, bankers, and tellers, and were sad to see them leave, and sad to see our convenient banking location shuttered.  Coming home from the post office, we sat in our car at a red light as I explained immigrant hardships.  Mom did not respond or react at all to my narrative.  But upon seeing the closed bank building, she sighed, “Poor bank.”  I thought Wells Fargo was anything but poor.  And I thought my immigrants were much more deserving of her sympathy.  But Mom felt what she felt, and understandably related more with and sympathized more with what she knew than with what she did not.  And the universe of what she knows is shrinking.  (If anyone would like to support the work of the No More A Stranger Foundation, or are looking for a worthy Giving Tuesday or year-end charity, you may make a donation at the NOMAS website.)

Courage at Twilight: “I Am a Jew”

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Dad retired from Johnson & Johnson in 1998, after a 33-year career. In the 1970s, he traveled to Europe several times for a series of meetings with European executives and scientists from J&J companies.  The meetings aimed to standardize the ingredients and raw materials for J&J signature products, like baby shampoo, which until then had been made according to varying recipes and materials sources and qualities in each different manufacturing country.  During the seventh meeting, held in Germany, a German executive commented to Nelson that his only regret about World War II was that Germany had not finished the job with the Jews.  Dad wrestled for an infuriated moment with how to respond to the bigot.  Johnson & Johnson nurtured an inclusive and diverse company culture, often ahead of the competition, and did not tolerate racism in its ranks.  Such prejudice was so antithetical to J&J culture, and to Dad’s own sensibilities, and he knew a strong reaction was required.  He announced to the German man, “You should know that I am a Jew.”  In fact, Dad was not Jewish.  But as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he knew he was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—he was an Israelite, like the children of Judah.  As such, the Jews were his brothers and sisters and cousins—they were family, respected and loved.  So, Dad declared, “You should know that I am a Jew.”  At this declaration, the man started, then stammered, “No, you’re not a Jew, you don’t look like a Jew.”  “No—believe me, I am a Jew.  And let me tell you something.  If I ever hear you say anything similar to what you have just said, ever, I will see to it that your career with this company is ruined forever.”  In the General Counsel’s office of J&J, Dad had the power to make good on his promise.  To his knowledge, the man never uttered his offensive and racist views again.  Throughout my life, I have observed Dad taking a fearless stand against bigotry, racism, prejudice, and oppression wherever he encountered it.  His children and grandchildren have all inherited from him a legacy of sensitivity to human dignity and worth, irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity.  I am proud of that legacy.

(Image by Mauistik from Pixabay.)