Trump Would Not Have Liked My Grandfather
by Bill Gouveia for the Sun Chronicle
I wonder what my grandfather would have thought of President Trump. I know President Trump wouldn’t have thought much of him.
My grandfather left his island of Madeira (Portugal) many years ago for Norton, to try and better his family’s life. He had little money, no college degree, no “special skills” beyond a tremendous work ethic and spoke no English. Today, he would not meet any of President Trump’s “standards” for being allowed to immigrate to the “Land of the Free”.
To be fair, I don’t believe President Trump specifically mentioned Portugal as one of the “shithole countries” from which we should take no more immigrants. But his utter disdain for people from Haiti, El Salvador, and many African nations — while expressing a preference for people from Norway — would certainly place my grandfather closer to the former than the latter.
According to President Trump, my grandfather would be of no use to the United States. Why take poor people who will take our jobs, and perhaps cost us money? Obviously, my grandfather would be seen a drain on what matters more than people to this President — Trump’s “amazing” economy.
Of course, President Trump doesn’t know my grandfather never collected welfare. That he and my uncle scrimped and saved for seven years before being able to bring his wife and children here. That he bought acres of land and farmed it for decades while also working full-time for Wheaton College in the maintenance department. That he lived in Norton for close to 60 years, paying taxes on the local, state and federal level.
President Trump doesn’t know my grandparents raised four sons and two daughters, three of whom served in the US military. He doesn’t know my father came here at 14, graduated high school in three years, raised a family, put himself through college while working three jobs, became a CPA, and reached the upper echelons of a major national bank.
President Trump doesn’t know one of my uncles owned a neighborhood store. Or that my aunt owned a café, and her sister worked at Balfour for more than 30 years. Or that another uncle managed a Fernandes Supermarket, while his brother ran the union representing its workers. By the way, that supermarket chain was founded by the son of an immigrant from the same area.
Without my grandfather and my father, I would not have been here to serve Norton for over 40 years as a town official. Or to have helped raise two amazing kids, who have given me five grandchildren with unlimited potential.
This is not a unique story. There are millions like it, featuring immigrants from “shithole” countries who have contributed so much to America.
I am proud of them. I am proud of my late grandparents and father.
I never expected to be proud of this President, so his ignorance doesn’t surprise me. But I am so disappointed in others who fail to stand up and condemn his words and actions.
You deserve as much shame as he does. Maybe more.
Happy Martin Luther King Day.
Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and proud son and grandson of immigrants. He can be reached at billsinsidelook@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.
Trump Would Not Have Liked My Grandfather
by Bill Gouveia for the Sun Chronicle
I wonder what my grandfather would have thought of President Trump. I know President Trump wouldn’t have thought much of him.
My grandfather left his island of Madeira (Portugal) many years ago for Norton, to try and better his family’s life. He had little money, no college degree, no “special skills” beyond a tremendous work ethic and spoke no English. Today, he would not meet any of President Trump’s “standards” for being allowed to immigrate to the “Land of the Free”.
To be fair, I don’t believe President Trump specifically mentioned Portugal as one of the “shithole countries” from which we should take no more immigrants. But his utter disdain for people from Haiti, El Salvador, and many African nations — while expressing a preference for people from Norway — would certainly place my grandfather closer to the former than the latter.
According to President Trump, my grandfather would be of no use to the United States. Why take poor people who will take our jobs, and perhaps cost us money? Obviously, my grandfather would be seen a drain on what matters more than people to this President — Trump’s “amazing” economy.
Of course, President Trump doesn’t know my grandfather never collected welfare. That he and my uncle scrimped and saved for seven years before being able to bring his wife and children here. That he bought acres of land and farmed it for decades while also working full-time for Wheaton College in the maintenance department. That he lived in Norton for close to 60 years, paying taxes on the local, state and federal level.
President Trump doesn’t know my grandparents raised four sons and two daughters, three of whom served in the US military. He doesn’t know my father came here at 14, graduated high school in three years, raised a family, put himself through college while working three jobs, became a CPA, and reached the upper echelons of a major national bank.
President Trump doesn’t know one of my uncles owned a neighborhood store. Or that my aunt owned a café, and her sister worked at Balfour for more than 30 years. Or that another uncle managed a Fernandes Supermarket, while his brother ran the union representing its workers. By the way, that supermarket chain was founded by the son of an immigrant from the same area.
Without my grandfather and my father, I would not have been here to serve Norton for over 40 years as a town official. Or to have helped raise two amazing kids, who have given me five grandchildren with unlimited potential.
This is not a unique story. There are millions like it, featuring immigrants from “shithole” countries who have contributed so much to America.
I am proud of them. I am proud of my late grandparents and father.
I never expected to be proud of this President, so his ignorance doesn’t surprise me. But I am so disappointed in others who fail to stand up and condemn his words and actions.
You deserve as much shame as he does. Maybe more.
Happy Martin Luther King Day.
Bill Gouveia is a local columnist and proud son and grandson of immigrants. He can be reached at billsinsidelook@gmail.com and followed on Twitter at @Billinsidelook.
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