immigrants don't understand why they are happy

[drealm]

This 4th of July I ate lamb kabab with a Chinese immigrant family. They live in a cramped house. The mother probably works for minimum wage at some food market. The son works at a Korean grocery store. The father works as a massage therapist. The mother and father speak no English. The son who is 29 speaks the most English, which still isn't a lot. Overall they don't have a lot of money and they live in a working class neighborhood. Their life revolves around having friends over for dinner, cooking and drinking beer or wine. They also enjoy sight seeing, like going to a beach. Whenever I'm with them they still speak primarily in Chinese. In a few years the son will marry his girlfriend and bring her to America. They are all happy because compared to China their material life has improved a lot. It's impossible for them to comprehend that this is the beginning of the end. In one or two generations they'll be like me. They'll have the same problems I do. All the the things they take for granted will erode. But for the time being they are ignorant and happy. I don't try explaining the future to them because they wouldn't understand.

[Cornfed]

I disagree with you on their future, because I think in the time you imagine they will be dead.

[chomommablack]

Well in China they probably would fare a lot worse. Here they can rely on Medicaid which you can get as long as you get the S.S# registered. In China I believe depending on where you are from you could have to wait 2-3 days just to get antibiotics unless it's an emergency or you are unconscious etc. Here immigrants go to the Hospital across the street from me and walk out with an Rx in 2-3 hours.