Hope Deferred: A Russian Immigrant’s Journey Through America’s Broken Promises
…The other night I watched Idaho arguing with the Biden Administration about how close to death a pregnant woman must be in order to receive a necessary, life-saving abortion.
“Mom, you are wearing a coat. It’s so hot out!” I winced, stepping off the plane’s boarding stairs outside at Miami International Airport.
It was November 7, 1997. We flew from Moscow, which, if you’re familiar with the climate, is already throwing snow blizzards that time of the year. My mother, being the Russian-Georgian brunette fashionista, wore a mink coat on top of a cotton sweater. I could see beads of sweat forming on her forehead, sliding down her face, and forcing mascara to smudge itself on her cheek.
“You’re going to love it, Anastasia. Just wait- your future is why we are here,” my dad announced, straining from the two carry-on suitcases full of whatever we could pack that would remind my parents of home. I remember unpacking nesting dolls, curtains, my grandma’s shawl, and even a porcelain tea set. My mother loved that tea set- she’s had it since before I was born.
My parents were in their mid-forties when we first stepped on American soil. I was just starting second grade and was throwing up with anxiety (and maybe fast food) the night before my first day of school. Of course, my dad took me to the Boca Raton health department to ensure I had the proper vaccinations for a seven-year-old.
I am 33 years old right now and I will always remember those first few months clear as glass. My parents, who lived most of their lives in the USSR, decided that enough was enough. Enough with supremacy, forced patriotism, corruption, and inequality. They chose to leave my grandparents, two older siblings who were married, their businesses, friends, and home in hopes of a new life. The American Dream.
I watch the current events unfold in horror. Women’s Rights being stripped away piece by piece. My friend was 7 weeks pregnant and had to travel out of state for an abortion. She is 25 and had to miss days of work and pay to accommodate her prolonged absence. The other night I watched Idaho arguing with the Biden Administration about how close to death a pregnant woman must be in order to receive a necessary, life-saving abortion.
With our Supreme Court dominated by extremists, it’s only a matter of time.
This brings Project 2025, a whopping 920-page-long proposal that would take effect if Trump is elected. Say goodbye to the Federal Department of education. In 1982, The United States Supreme Court ruled in Plyler vs. Doe that all children, regardless of status, have the same right to go to school. If the Dept. of Education is stripped away, who’s to say these immigrant kids, who I used to be, would be going to school?
My father, after leaving behind his business and job as a top city attorney in Russia, became a truck driver. He had 0 English skills so that was the most suitable job that could feed a family. My mother worked during the day as a seamstress and took English classes in the evenings.
I earned my right to vote a few years ago after I obtained my U.S. citizenship and rescinded my Russian one. The process wasn’t an easy one- I had to travel to USCIS offices, submit applications, and pay fees. I also had to prove that I am not a felon.
All of that to become a citizen of the country that is now turning its back on me.
My parents did not cross the Atlantic with 4 suitcases to their name and bring their daughter to the US to be betrayed. To have our rights stripped away, layer by layer, until we are not human. At least not the perfect “Aryan Race” the US Republicans want us to be.
They are persistent. It wasn’t enough to overturn Roe v Wade. Not enough to cut education funding and visa applications. They want more, and they stop until every single individual in this country is under extremist rule.
What does this teach the rest of us? Fight back, fight back with more power and determination.
I am horrified, betrayed, and disgusted. I hope and pray that we vote to keep our human rights.
