In these times there are many stories about Venezuelan emigrants, some of them about how hard is to emigrate , others about those who have been able to enjoy a reunion with their own after a long time and others about the process of adaptation, for some more difficult than for others. But all moving, full of mixed feelings, hopes and Faith. That’s why I’m sure the story I’m about to write has details in common with so many other stories; this story that I will share with you my sister wrote in an email.
Since I arrived in the country that has given me shelter, almost nine months ago, I have had three jobs attending different kind of customers. At the first one, the people who listened to my voice on the phone felt fear, they marked distance, they refused to talk to me and even said insults against me without know nothing about me . All that just due my accent. Many of them thought it was right to call the owner and complain about it. My co-workers laughed at the situation until the clients star to complain and call them too because it wasn´t one of them who call. All that made me to remember “when you see your neighbor’s house in flame, you better call the fireman” (or something like that).
One of my bosses said that I should take a diction and locution course. Beside that I preferred stay at home and work from there for a while, without any contact with nobody else that my people, hugging my customs and most of all, my accent.
On the second job I attended people from three different countries, from the one that gave me shelter, some Argentinians and some countrymen. The countrymen recognized me right away with just listen to me, that made me feel joy because my country still in me, it doesn´t leave me. The Argentinians didn´t noticed any different, I suppose that any other voice here is different to them, so everything is normal. And the owners of this territory where I am now, well, they had different reactions, they were respectful, they even told me nice things about my accent; I listened several times phrases like “ what a nice accent you have” and it could be even from one of my coworkers. Things were going better! Thanks God!!
In my third and currently job I have to attend a very particular public, they are persons who recognize they are having hard times, that´s why my accent is not just Venezuelan, it also has compassion, the compassion that is common in almost all Venezuelan person. So I answer the same question at least 10 times every day: Where are you from??
It is a very sensitive subject to me, and I answer this question with a smile and hide tears, saying “from Venezuela” then I use to hear phrases like:
“I imagined that”
“What a nice accent you have”
“From Venezuela, (with reflection, compassion, some fear and question marks) what a terrible situation you have there in Venezuela” and
“aahhh…! I supposed it because I already know some persons from Venezuela that speak just like you”
I give a smile as an answer most of the times. But, today I heard phrases like:
“All my prayers are with the people of Venezuela” from a Portuguese with a wife who lived for a long time in Venezuela.
“All of you are verracos! You are going to be fine and through God everything is going to pass very soon” from a Colombian brother who was with his family visiting this country, and they almost hug me in the middle of the store to give me support and cheer me.
And finally, I listened a Mexican to say “don’t lose your faith and the hope, God is perfect, He can do everything and he is not going to leave you all alone”
So, my story got full of thankful and much more love for my origins, my accent and my siblings from other countries that recognize my voice and those who, in other countries say with a lot of proud, with their own accent “I’M FROM VENEZUELA”.
This beautiful anecdote was told to me by my sister Angelica M who lives in other latitudes.