V.
J
^P\c American
shamed to tell) it took me a year
to get over my homesickness. Ter
rible, isn't it? When I look back
I can't imagine why I didn't kick
nyself. MJy parents and my brother
though felt at home in America im
mediately.
Madeira, a suburb of Cincinnati,
Ohio, is a middle-class town. In
iqy eyes the people are very rich.
9/l0 of the people have a college
education. Many of them have two
or three cars or a swimming pool.
It is one of the nicest neighbor
hoods of Cincinnati. Many people
look up to you when you say you're
from Madeira. Now about teen-age
life here. The American teenager
seems to be very independent,
which I think is very good. They
don't seem to need their parents
as much as the European teenagers
do. This does not mean that the
American teenagers love their
parents less. Not at all. They ap
preciate them. Their home life is
a happy one.
NJy friends all have an own car.
We go everywhere. We even plan to
go camping in another state this
summer. I of course do not have
an own car. Actually we are the
poorest in Madeira. But it doesn't
seem to make any difference to
them. I suppose it is because rqy
parents are on the same intellec
tual level as they are. My parents
I think, are ideal. Ihey have
taught me everything about life I
need to know. I can do anything I
want, and the strange is, I do not
misuse my rights because I've been
taught the right things. It is the
same way with my American friends.
Exactly the same way. They have
not turned into "hoodlums" with
sprayed-up hair I can't see how
they manage it. But they do.
Ruthie Klerks
Note of the Editor:
This is a short but extremely
well written story. The recipe is
simple: tell the truth. Never make
up stories prettier than they are.
Do not use important sounding
words. Make short sentences.
We are particularly pleased with J
this letter because Ruthie tells
nice things about Americans. We
are always worried when immigrants
tell about Americans they know as
uneducated, uncivilized moneyma
kers, bacause this is not true.
When people do so, we always won
der why such friends are made and
not Americans of a better social
status. Ruthie offers the key: bet
ter education. Maybe we ourselves
2
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Samen met Tong-Tong (zeepost)
Prijs: per nummer-50
per half jr.
per jaar
5.00
$10.00
taEtejTie
[aBQnn
Lilian Ducelle
Tjalie Robinson
telf. 696 -4921
Roy J. Steevensz
Marijke Steevensz
telf. 944 3549
P. O. Box 4572 Whittier,
Cal., 90607
