III. Living Together? Real Stories

Jose M. Garcia

I have identified two different scenarios that happened to me. One incident occurred when I went to a local bank, where I had an account, to cash a U.S. Postal Money Order sent by my parents for my children. When I got to the bank and gave it to the teller to cash against

my checking and savings account, I was informed that they do not cash money orders from foreign countries because they were not sure what type of currency was used there. I tried to explain to them that Puerto Rico was a Commonwealth of the United States. At that point the teller became very upset and belligerent and demanded to see my green card. I then spoke with the bank manager who in turn called his main office, and they informed him that I could cash my money order because it was a U.S. Postal Money Order and the currency used was U.S. dollars. All I wanted to do was just cash my money order and buy some Christmas gifts for my children from their grandparents. I felt like I didn’t even matter or count to them, like I was not really an American citizen.

Another incident happened when I went to register my children for school. I took them to the school and was in line to register them when the person handling the registration desk read my children’s names, and stated very loudly another foreigner. She immediately began to speak to us in a very loud and slow voice saying, Do you speak English? My sons got scared because of the way she was speaking to us, she was almost shouting. She then made the statement I wish you foreigners would just go back to your country, we have enough people here on welfare as it is. I was offended that this could happen to me and my family right on the first day of school, on school property. My oldest child, who spoke English, turned to me in front of the person at the registration and said, Daddy, they really don’t want us here, and then began to cry.

I informed the individual doing the registration that my children spoke English and could understand Spanish but did not speak it. I also informed her that I was not on welfare and did not plan to be on it, that I was employed and had a Masters Degree in Human Services and a Masters in Religious Education. The person then became very apologetic and tried to smooth things over by saying that I was a credit to my race. And that she wished that other foreigners who come to this country would be like me. The person then asked if I was a citizen or a political refugee. How was I to feel? I registered my kids at school and began to leave, knowing in my heart that she really didn’t get it. As I left, the person stopped me one more time and said that they have a friend who is Hispanic also, and that they are very good friends. I felt horrible and sad for this person because she is one of the many who really don’t understand what they are doing to me and to others.

* Jose Garcia is a pastor with the First Capitol Church in Harrisburg. He was born in Puerto Rico and was educated in New York and Pennsylvania.