Why I'm Not Surprised American Expatriates Are Giving Up Their Citizenship

More American Expatriates Give Up Citizenship

The world is a fascinating place I'm dying to see. I'm easing into world travel, having visited only 2% of the world's countries (according to my Travel Buddy profile) in my 26-something years. Yes, Mexico, Ecuador and the good ol' USA have been graced with my presence. Unlike many Americans who travel abroad, however, I have actually lived in foreign countries, 5 months in Xalapa, Mexico and 27 months in Ecuador. During my 32 months abroad I learned more than local vernacular and customs; I walked away with a different philosophy about life: the American way isn't always/usually the best way. Before you decide to exile me, understand that I love where I live. Yeah, I get emotional when I hear "The Star-Spangled Banner" (especially Whitney Houston's version) but I'm not naive. My experience abroad solidified my realization that America isn't the best country in the world; there is no such thing. Who created the rubric to make the determination that the USA is best, anyway? What I can say is that although we have a lot going for us, us Americans have a lot of cleaning house to do as well.Here are some reasons why we aren't the best.

Citizens of other nations are more politically involved. 
Political stability isn't always a good thing. Let's take the example of Dubya for instance. As a nation we sat back and let that man wreak havoc on our nation, increasing our national debts and sending strong and bright individuals abroad to fight and die or suffer upon return home. We all sat back and cracked out jokes about Dubya, complained about his ulterior agendas and talked about his incompetency, but we never stood up as a nation to say enough is enough. There was never a united movement to have him removed from office for not thinking about the best interests of America. Please don't be fooled into believing this occurs only at the highest levels of government. Most all officials reach out to the public on the campaign trail, promising X, Y and Z. Once sworn in do they uphold their promises? Usually not. What do we do about it? Complain. We are apathetic! Take a look at the list of heads of state in Ecuadorian history. Focus primarily on the 49th president on down to the 55th. Like the USA, Ecuador has a 4 year presidential term. So why did only 6 of the 7 presidents elected in that time frame not complete their terms? Ecuadorians rose up and demanded that officials keep their promises and some didn't make the cut. The Ecuadorian people kept tabs on their officials' conduct and if they were corrupt or ineffective in managing the country they had to not only leave office, but also the country. Talk about getting things done! I know you may be thinking frequent uprisings reinforce the instability of a nation, but things always get worse before they get better. Ecuador is not a perfect nation (there is no such thing), but it is improving drastically. President Rafael Correa was elected for a second term and Ecuadorians are still on his case, assuring he keeps his promises and the best interests of his nation at heart. How could you not respect this from a nation?

Other nations look out for their people
You can tell a lot about people by what they prioritize. Education and health should be right up there with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Period. How can one expect to build a nation dedicated to greatness with a sick and uneducated populace? It was incomprehensible for the world to watch the health care debates that went on in 2009. Economic powerhouse nations in Europe were STDHs (shaking their damn heads) at us. During this time I was in Ecuador on assignment as a Peace Corps Volunteer trying my best to explain to my community what the hoopla was about. No one believed my stories about using the ER as a doctor's office. No one believed how much  medication was marked up. No one believed anything I said. It was simply incomprehensible to them and they pay for health care as well, but they are heading in the direction of adopting a more socialized system.

Along with the recent amendment of the Ecuadorian constitution (yes, they revise it every ten years and the citizens vote on the changes...why don't we try that? Maybe not as frequently, but still) came the decision to make attending a public university a right to citizens. That means it's free, ya'll. Do your best, graduate for high school, pass your entrance exams and your tuition is paid for. All you worry about are books, travel and incidentals. The USA knows that education is important and whatever is important should make money. Come on, folks. It's the American way! As a result, tuition inflation is a hot topic on every campus in America and doesn't look like it will soon erase from the agenda. In fact it has worsened as the cost of attendance increases annually. To add insult to injury, because a Bachelor's degree is the new high school diploma, America is not only seeing an increase in undergraduate admissions but also enrollment in Masters and PHD programs. I'm one of them. If I finish my Masters program in time I will owe almost $80K in student loan debt. Ca-ching...for them, a life of indentured servitude for me! Or I could move to another country and get an education for a fraction of the price even while paying out of pocket. Hmmmmm.

The values that made us great have dwindled
I look back at what families were like in generations past and wonder what happened over the past 40 years in America. Not only did the American family structure completely disintegrate during this era, but also the values that made this nation great. This provokes a chicken vs. egg type of question in my mind. Family, honesty and hard work have been erased from our list of priorities. Everyone is out "to get theirs", completely ignoring the fact that it takes a collaborative effort to create anything worthwhile for our country and world. Americans are victims of the dominating "ghetto nation" mentality, glorifying mediocrity and being ever so impatient and selfish. Where did our values go and how do we get them back? Other cultures value the simple pleasures of life: spending time with family and friends, honoring God and having food on the table.  While some may enjoy those simple pleasures, the vast majority have become beasts of consumption and acquisition of tangibles and attention that are getting us nowhere quickly. We have sold our souls for the dollar bill and have become slaves to it, and our downfall is steeped in this truth.

I can't lie; at times I feel like fleeing this country. However, I realize the grass is always greener on the other side. Like I said earlier, there is no such thing as a perfect place to live, so I'm willing to water my lawn and make the best of life in America...for now, at least.

Nappy On and In My Head ...a stream of consciousness

Once upon a time I started a beauty blog to compile media for women who wanted to learn more techniques for managing their "napptural" (nappy, natural) hair but who didn't want to limit themselves to dreads  braids or weaves. I'm sorry but those seem like the only options for black women without a chemical relaxer. Sadly, I didn't do much with this blog. Here is an entry from that blog. The date above reflects the original post.

I know natural hair is versatile  So why are the only style options in magazines dreads  braids, or weaves? In the spring of 2006 I left go of my creamy crack habit to begin wearing my hair as God intended. This may not seem like a big deal, as most of you have worn your hair as it grows from your scalp all your lives. Wash, blow dry (maybe) and go. You may wonder why all this natural hair hooplah calls for such thought and attention. The answer is complicated, my dear. People direct documentaries and write dissertations trying to explain the politics of black hair. I'll try my best to explain.

In America, beauty standards were (and still, to a large extent) extremely one tracked. Since the majority of the country is of European descent and had a controlling interest in the media, it is only natural that beauty standards would be derived around what is beautiful to them. That pretty much left my dark skin and tightly coiled hair out of the picture.  You can only imagine what this can do to a young child's self-esteem. Society tells you "you're black, you're poor, you're ugly, you're a woman, you're nothing at all," as "Mister" so eloquently put it in the movie The Color Purple. Think I'm exaggerating, here are some recent stories that revolve around black hair.

• Malia O., President Obama's Daughter, Frees Her African Hair
• Chris Rock's Sundance Film Festival-Winning Documentary, "Good Hair"

Non-blacks look at nappy hair in either in disgust or with intrigue, but blacks, sometimes don't make it better. Blacks who are less phenotypically African often poke fun at darker or nappier folk for not having "good hair." Take a peek at this video from Spike Lee's School Daze.

There weren't many images black women could truly identify with in the media. Sure, by the time I came along there were a few positive images of blacks in the media, but the vast majority were black of lighter skin tones, a less threatening image, I guess, for a Eurocentric America. So I did what many others did or felt they had to do; I attempted to assimilate to the standard by burning my scalp (especially when you scratch before applying) with chemical relaxers to have the bone straight look become my norm. (If you've never seen the conk scene in Spike Lee's Malcolm X, you need to in order to understand the desperation one has to get a relaxer out of their hair.)  Once my hair started growing out and my natural texture began to show, I'd have to run and buy a box of "perm" (what us black women call hair relaxer) for a touch up to keep the look up and also to minimize breakage. (The point where the new growth and relaxed hair meet is very fragile. So keeping the entire head relaxed maintains the hair's consistency and is less likely to break.) I understand straightening one's hair for a short period of time, you know, working your hair like an accessory, alternating straight and coily as the mood hits you, but the problem black women face is our options for stylistic expression with our hair is always judged (for the worse) by society. Kinky hair is looked down upon so black women endure all of this torture to make an unnatural style look permanent. It blows my mind how my hair's natural state is radical, yet chemical alteration is seen as normal. Millions of people still do buy into this beauty standard. Madam C.J. Walker made a fortune transforming tightly coiled kinks into flowing tresses at the beginning of the 20th century. The Koreans have taken over the hair care industry now and boy, do black women keep them in the black! The bottom line: your hair is your glory and should not be a source of shame. And under no circumstance should anyone be brainwashed into detesting the natural state of their hair because others find it unacceptable or not beautiful.

There are many women who relax their hair simply because it's a lot easier to care for. True, but the reality of this situation goes beyond ease of care; job security, housing selection, even finding a mate are opportunities that may be lost all because a boss, landlord, lender, or potential mate dislikes your hair and/or makes assumptions about your personality based upon it. I'm not talking about, "Oh, Suzy has wavy hair with sun bleached streaks. Uh-oh, we may have a beach bum on our hands." I'm talking, " Oh, God! Cheka has an afro, twisty thing going on. Reminds me of rebellious negroes of the 60s or she must be a diva with a 'tude" or  "It's not attractive/groomed." For those of you who know me personally, you know both opinions are far from the truth, but I realize how my hair can be misinterpreted. I remember back when I was an undergrad I talked about going natural to some older black women I respected, one with a relaxer and the other with a Jheri curl.  (Yes, one of the ladies thought her greasy, drippy Jheri curl was "superior" to my NATURAL hair. SMH. Cue the Soul Glo commercial from Coming to America.) They tried their hardest to talk me out of returning natural, thinking it would limit my opportunities for professional advancement. I wore wigs while I thought it out. They covered my head an entire year before my natural hair saw the light of day! To avoid all of this drama, some black women just say "pass the creamy crack" to get the straight look so approved by the majority. [I wanted to post a video clip from the 1990s urban sit-com "Living Single." It was a great show, one of my favorites. One episode in particular is so appropriate for this blog entry. It's called "A Hair Razing Experience (episode description link)." One of the protagonists believes his opportunity to excel in his firm is threatened because a co-worker makes him feel his hair isn't corporate enough.)]

The whole good hair/bad hair toxic way of thinking of not unique to the USA; I experienced it when I lived in El Valle del Chota, an AfroEcuadorian community located in the northern Andes of the country. There was extreme diversity among skin tone, hair type, physical build, all of which were beautiful. With respect to beauty standards, the most fact about the region was that ten years prior the community knew nothing of relaxers. Now women who longed for ”better” hair could not only buy the magic fix for themselves, but also for their young children. When I arrived, people were fascinated with me because they either never met a black American or never knew "my kind" existed. People wanted to know about everything I did. Some of the women were shocked that I wore my hair naturally. "Alisese” (go straighten your hair) was a constant request, because I would be "prettier." "Gringas negras no les gustan peinar” (Black American girls don't like to do their hair,)  said a neighbor when she met a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer who was also black and natural. It was like they were drug dealers, trying to get me hooked. I kindly informed them that black Americans invented the poison, and we had been using it for decades before we became aware of the risks associated with using it. Sorry ya'll are so late! The fear of fibroids, chemical burns and balding did not sway them. Vanity is one hell of a sin and we pay its price right here on Earth. Women with no access to (hot) running water in their homes would perm their hair, some getting the results they wanted, others winding up with breakage or permanent damage (worn off edges.)

Now, as I'm readjusting to American life (I just finished 2 years abroad with the United States Peace Corps, happy and nappy) I was and still am faced with the dilemma whether to relax or stay natural. I am unemployed at the moment  and wonder how the politics of hair will play out in me getting hired. Over this last month I have been turned down for employment opportunities due to a little something called "overqualification." I don't need any other factors making it more difficult for me; I already have an extraordinary resume and this recession working against me.

I tried my best to begin explaining this concept in this short rant of a blog. Like I said earlier, this is a very in-depth topic that requires more attention than is given. For those who want to go more in depth with this I've included a few links to catch you up on this topic.

• Tyra Banks had an episode conveniently titled "Good Hair." Here are the video clips.

• CNN's Black in America featured a segment on black hair.
• Oprah also aired an episode on Wednesday, September  30, 2009 about this topic as well. Unfortunately, Miss Oprah does not post complete episodes. Here is the link to the snippets and summaries of the show.

I am pleased to see black hair politics being brought to the forefront. Unfortunately, I haven't even broken the ice with  this topic. In the meantime, I look forward to continuing the conversation below. Your questions and comments are welcome, as always.

UPDATE: Also see "The Politics of Black Hair" by Melissa Harris-Perry (MSNBC)

(College Kids) Living Beyond Their Means

In the 21st century impatience, lack of discipline and flamboyant attitudes facilitate poor financial decision-making. Why is it so hard to say "No. I can't afford that" and just let it be. Every time I turn on the radio or television I hear about debt consolidation this and debt elimination that. These ads are usually directed towards my demographic, the 20- something year old, specifically the females. How can you be that young and have such debt? I am not referring to student or home loans since they are considered investments (or at least were considered so once upon a time). Most debt comes from living beyond ones means, buying what one can't really afford with credit cards.

My first encounter with credit cards occurred during my freshman year at my alma mater, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During the first week of the semester, if you played your cards right, you could survive and spend very little. If your tummy rumbled there was free pizza, subs, drinks and any other junk food your heart desired. (Who'd want to eat junk food you ask? A recently liberated adolescent with a license to FINALLY make their own decisions about every aspect of their life, that's who!) Need more clothes? If you knew how to work The Pitt and The Quad (the two spaces at UNC where everyone hangs out between classes) you could score a few t-shirts, caps and visors to complete your wardrobe. All of this stuff was free, or was it really? Who was giving away this stuff? You guessed it....credit card companies. "Sign up for this card and get "x" free." "Apply today to lock in this interest rate and get a free lunch." Blah-blah-blah! Thank God I knew better.

My mother taught my sister and me about personal finance from an early age.I learned that poor financial and credit management would limit what apartments you could rent and increase long-term costs when financing a home, furniture or a car. If you are poor AND have bad credit you will pay much more for the items you need (and want) because extending credit to you is riskier, so interest rates are higher and down payment requirements are larger than they would be if  you were a safe credit risk. This was a lot for a pre-teen to absorp, but I'm glad I did.

I wasn't ready for the responsibility (or temptation) that a credit card offered and I came to terms with it. Sadly, can't accept their reality. Quite a few friends of mine fell into the credit trap, finding themselves in a new place with a desire to reinvent themselves with a new wardrobe, new gadgets and maybe a new car. These instant pleasures caused long term pain as the thrill of having something new wore off while the compounding interest from the cards kept them slaves to making credit card payments. How quickly they signed their lives away for depreciable assets. How quickly they regretted their decisions. I can only hope they learn from their experiences.

Bottom line: Don't Buy Stuff (SNL clip)

Update!

Watch Maxed Out, specifically from 34:00 to 41:46, to see how universities and credit card companies used to collaborate to draw students to plastic.

DJ Black "Chucha Su Madre"

My travels abroad have left me amazed at the influence hip-hop has made on an international level. Most of the time I'm quite embarrassed, I must admit, as rap music is no longer represents real life, but instead relies on macho fantasies or female gold digging, both playing out as a modern minstrel show. Once in a while hope is restored through an artist who (usually only with one song goes) beyond shuckin' and jivin and really takes makes the political and economic a tangible tipic for the layman. DJ Black, from Panama, did just did this with his hit "Chucha Su Madre". 

While I must admit I did not like the song at first because it samples Little Vicious's "Freaks" (I'm a music snob. "Oh? You can't create your OWN beats? HATED IT!) and because hearing "chucha" (Spanish word for cunt (in Ecuador) and damn! or f***. It means something different wherever you are in South America) every two seconds grated my nerves. Once I listened to the lyrics, however, I was sold because he speaks the truth creatively.

"Chucha de su madre" or "chucha su madre" literally is your mother's vagina (think of a more vulgar way to say that). Essentially you can substitute this Spanish phrase to mean "(like a) mother f***er", someone who is "screwed" or "out of luck", "f***ed". I tried my best to translate the meaning below. If you see ... below, it refers to one of the many uses of "chucha su madre".

Esta es la cancion del [This is the song about the "screwed"]
chucha de su madre
dedicados pa´ los [dedicated to all the "out of luck"]
chucha de su madre
pa´que lo suenen como [so it sounds like "(like a) mother f***er"]
chucha de su madre
y se pegue de aqui asta la
chucha de su madre

Esta es la cancion del [This is the song about ...]
chucha de su madre
dedicados pa´ los [dedicated to all the ...]
chucha de su madre
pa´que lo suenen como [so they sound like ...]
chucha de su madre
y se pegue de aqui asta la [and they listen to this song until it ends]
chucha de su madre

En el pais hay un problema bien
chucha de su madre [In this country there is a very serious problem]
que no tiene hasta la
chucha de su madre [There is not enough to go around]
que trabajamos como
chucha de su madre [We work ourselves like a  mother f***er]
pa´recibir un sueldo bien
chucha de su madre [To receive a salary that isn't worth a damn]
y cada 4 años se aparece un
chucha de su madre [Every four years an asshole appears]
prometiendo como
chucha de su madre [Making promises like crazy]
pidiendo voto como
chucha de su madre [Asking for votes like crazy]
voten por mi ["Vote for me"]
chucha de su madre [(Look at this  mother f***er)...]
pero [But]
en la asamblea hacen
chucha de su madre [In the political assembly they don't do anything]
no hacen nada por ni un
chucha de su madre [They don't so anything for anyone]
se olvido de todo los
chucha de su madre [They've forgotten about all us ...]
y se roba la plata el
chucha de su madre [And they steal the money, those...]

Esta es la cancion del
chucha de su madre [This is the song about ...]
dedicados pa´ los
chucha de su madre [dedicated to all the ...]
pa´que lo suenen como
chucha de su madre [so they sound like ...]
y se pegue de aqui asta la
chucha de su madre [and they listen to this song until it ends]

mira esto lo que me paso a las una de la mañana [Look at what happened to me at 1 o'clock in the morning]

Espero taxi como un mismo
chucha de su madre [I'm hailing a cab driven by a ...]
y por ser negro no me llevan los
chucha de su madre [And because I'm black the ... won't stop for me]
y a lo lejos se me acercan dos
chucha de su madre [And from afar two  damn cops walk toward me]
cedula ciudadano ["ID please."]
chucha de su madre [ Fuck!]
me llevan pa'l curtel los
chucha de su madre [Those ... take me to jail]
me sueltan a las 4 como
chucha de su madre [The released me at 4o'clock, those ...]
llego a mi casa y la
chucha de su madre [I arrive at home and the ...]
mi mujer tu estavas con una
chucha de su madre [My woman asks, "Were you with a damn woman?"]

Esta es la cancion del
chucha de su madre [This is the song about ...]
dedicados pa´ los
chucha de su madre [dedicated to all the ...]
pa´que lo suenen como
chucha de su madre [so they sound like ...]
y se pegue de aqui asta la
chucha de su madre [and they listen to this song until it ends]

En el pais hay un problema bien
chucha de su madre [In this country there is a very serious problem]
el seguro asta la
chucha de su madre [Social security and insurance is out of control]
los doctores hacen huelga los
chucha de su madre [Doctors are on strike, those ...] {Not sure if he's saying "huelga"=strike or "verga"= dick (doing nothing)}
el dietilenglicol [learn more about dietilenglicol here]
chucha de su madre
mato un poco de viejo el
chucha de su madre [They killed a few old people, those ...]
y los taxi hasta la
chucha de su madre [Taxi cabs are too expensive]
y hasta los buses se prenden
chucha de su madre [The buses work]
y nunca meten preso a ni un
chucha de su madre [And they don't throw any of these guys in jail]
sigue el transporte hasta la
chucha de su madre [Transportation is too expensive]
gasolina hasta la
chucha de su madre [Gas is too expensive]
la comida hasta la
chucha de su madre [Food is expensive]
y el salario en el ghetto hasta la
chucha de su madre [The average salary in the ghetto isn't worth a damn]

Esta es la cancion del
chucha de su madre [This is the song about ...]
dedicados pa´ los
chucha de su madre [dedicated to all the ...]
pa´que lo suenen como
chucha de su madre [so they sound like ...]
y se pegue de aqui asta la
chucha de su madre [and they listen to this song until it ends]

El pais esta creciendo hasta la
chucha de su madre [The country is growing beyond it's capacity]
rantan de edificio como
chucha de su madre [Development and sprawl like you wouldn't believe]
que lindo q bonito los
chucha de su madre ["How nice! How pretty!" say the naive ...]
y quien va ir a vivir hay los
chucha de su madre ["And who do you suppose will live there?" "Those rich ..., brother."]
brother
esto esta hasta la
chucha de su madre [We are so fed up]
todo el mundo sufre como
chucha de su madre [Everyone is suffering like dogs]
el pobre mas pobre hasta la
chucha de su madre [The poor keep getting poorer]
justicia pal´pueblo
chucha de su madre ["Justice for the people"]
'tamos cabria'o hasta la
chucha de su madre [We are angry and fed up]
sufriendo como
chucha de su madre [We are suffering like dogs]
llorando como
chucha de su madre [Crying like]
trabajando como
chucha de su madre [Working like dogs]
y echamos pa´lante como
chucha de su madre [We've got to keep advancing]
ya tu saves. [You know]