3 questions to ask yourself about US citizenship | Jose Antonio Vargas

譯者: Hsuan-Yu Chen 審譯者: LoHsien Huang

Four years after arriving in the United States,

在我來到美國四年後，

我就和其他 16 歲小孩沒差，

like any typical 16-year-old,

I went to get my driver's permit.

去考學習駕照。

After I showed the clerk my immigration papers, my green card,

我給那個櫃台人員 移民證件和綠卡之後，

she told me it was fake.

她跟我講這些證件都是假的。

她接著跟我講： 「別再出現在我的櫃台前面。」

"Don't come back here again," she said.

That's how I found out I was in America illegally.

這下我發現自己是一個 非法滯留在美國的人。

And I'm still here illegally.

現在呢，我還是非法留在這裡。

我是一個新聞記者，也是個製片人。

I'm a journalist and filmmaker.

I live in stories.

我相信人們有自己的過往。

And what I've learned

至今我發現

that what most people don't understand about immigration

許多人不理解「移民」的意義，

is what they don't understand about themselves:

也導致他們不了解自己：

their families' old migration stories and the processes they had to go through

不了解自己家族移民的歷程，

before green cards and walls even existed,

家裡拿到綠卡前的歷程 以及面對族群之間的隔閡。

or what shaped their understanding of citizenship itself.

或者說這些人如何理解 「公民身份」這個詞。

I was born in the Philippines.

我在菲律賓出生。

When I was 12, my mother sent me to live with her parents,

我十二歲的時候， 我媽媽送我來和她爸媽住，

my grandparents,

也就是我外公外婆，

or, as we say in Tagalog, lolo and lola.

或者按照他加祿語的說法 就是 lolo 和 lola。

Lolo's name was Teofilo.

我外公叫 Teofilo（特奧菲洛）。

當他合法移民來美國， 並且成為美國公民時，

When he legally emigrated to America and became a naturalized citizen,

he changed his name from Teofilo to Ted,

他就把名字從 Teofilo 改成 Ted ，

after Ted Danson from the TV show "Cheers."

Ted 這個名字是他從 「Cheers」電視劇主角

Ted Danson 那裡搬來的。

Can't get any more American than that.

這個名字夠美式了。

Lolo's favorite song was Frank Sinatra's "My Way,"

我祖父最喜歡的歌是 法蘭克·辛納屈唱的〈我的方式〉。

當他想到如何把他唯一的孫子， 也就是我，帶到美國來，

and when it came to figuring out how to get his only grandson, me,

to America,

he decided to do it his way.

他便打算用自己的方式這麼做。

According to Lolo, there was no easy and simple way to get me here,

根據外公所說，沒有什麼 簡單的辦法把我帶到這裡，

so Lolo saved up 4,500 dollars --

所以外公存了 4,500 美元，

that's a lot of money for a security guard

用來買一張假的綠卡， 讓一位走私者把我帶到美國，

who made no more than eight dollars an hour --

to pay for the fake green card

這對一位時薪不超過 8 美元的 警衛來講是一大筆錢。

and for a smuggler to bring me to the US.

這就是我來美國的經過。

So that's how I got here.

I can't tell you how many times people tell me that their ancestors

我數不清多少次有人對我說

他們的祖先用 「正確的方式」到達美國，

came to America "the right way,"

to which I remind them,

但我也總提醒他們，

America's definition of "the right way"

美國對「正確的方式」的定義

has been changing ever since the first ship of settlers dropped anchor.

自從第一艘移民船 抵達美國後就一直在改變。

America as we know it is more than a piece of land,

我們知道美國不僅是一塊土地，

particularly because the land that now makes up the United States of America

特別是因為這塊組成 美利堅合眾國的土地

used to belong to other people in other countries.

曾經屬於其他國家的其他人。

America as we know it is also more than a nation of immigrants.

我們知道美國也不僅是移民者的國度。

There are two groups of Americans who are not immigrants:

有兩類美國人並非移民者：

Native Americans, who were indigenous to this land

美洲原住民，也就是 本來在這塊土地上居住

and who were killed in acts of genocide;

並在種族大屠殺中被殺的人。

and African Americans, who were kidnapped, shipped and enslaved

還有非裔美國人，

也就是那些被綁架、運送、奴役 來建造這個國家的這群人。

to build this country.

America is, above all, an idea,

美國最重要的想法，

however unrealized and imperfect,

也就是：就算它未實現且不完美，

這個想法之所以存在是因為 第一批定居者自由地來到這裡，

one that only exists because the first settlers came here freely

無需擔憂是否擁有公民身份問題。

without worry of citizenship.

So, where did you come from?

所以，你來自哪裡？

How did you get here?

你怎麼到這裡的？

Who paid?

誰付錢讓你來這兒的？

All across America, in front of diverse audiences --

在美國各地，各種各樣的觀眾面前

conservatives and progressives,

——保守派和進步派、 高中生和老年人——

high school students and senior citizens --

我問過他們那些問題。

I've asked those questions.

As a person of color, I always get asked where I'm from,

作為一個有色人種， 我總是被問到我來自哪裡，

as in, "Where are you from from?"

但他們都是問： 「你原本是從哪裡來？」

So I've asked white people where they're from from, too.

所以我也問白人 他們原本是從哪裡來的。

After asking a student at the University of Georgia

我問喬治亞大學的一名學生

where he was from,

他來自哪裡之後，

he said, "I'm American."

他說：「我是美國人。」

"I know," I said, "but where are you from?"

我說：「我知道，但是你來自哪裡？」

"I'm white," he replied.

他回答：「我是白人。」

"But white is not a country," I said.

我說：「但是白人不是一個國家。」

"Where are your ancestors from?"

「你的祖先來自哪裡？」

When he replied with a shrug,

他聳了聳肩，

I said,

我說：

"Well, where did you come from?

「那麼，你以前從哪裡來的？

How did you get here? Who paid?"

「你怎麼來的？誰付錢讓你來的？」

He couldn't answer.

他無法回答。

I don't think you can talk about America as America

我認為大家在認真談論美國時，

without answering those three core questions.

無法避開那三個核心問題。

Immigration is America's lifeline,

移民是美國的生命線，

how this country has replenished itself for centuries,

幾個世紀以來， 這個國家一直在壯大，

from the settlers and the revolutionaries who populated the original 13 colonies

從最初 13 個殖民地的 移民和革命者

to the millions of immigrants, predominantly from Europe,

到數百萬主要來自歐洲的移民者，

who relentlessly colonized this land.

持續殖民這片土地。

Even though Native Americans were already here

儘管美國原住民已經在這裡，

and had their own tribal identities and ideas about citizenship,

並有自己的部落身份 和公民身份的概念，

they were not considered US citizens until the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act.

但直到 1924 年「印地安人公民法案」 他們才被認為是美國公民。

美國黑人為之奮鬥、具有里程碑 意義的 1964 年「民權法案」

The landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act that Black Americans fought for

inspired the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act,

激發了 1965 年 「移民和國籍法」的誕生。

which ended America's race-based exclusionary system

該法案結束了美國長達 40 年

that had lasted for 40 years.

以種族排斥為基礎的制度。

I could go on and on here,

這些例子舉不完。

but my point, my larger point, is this:

但我的觀點，更重要的觀點是：

How much do any of us,

我們之中的任何人，

whether immigrants of the past or the present,

不管是過去還是現在的移民

know of these crucial parts of American history?

對美國歷史的這些關鍵部分了解多少？

How much of this history makes up the actual US citizenship test?

美國公民公民測驗試題中 有多少這段歷史相關的試題？

Have you ever seen it?

你看過嗎？

It's a mostly oral test,

這基本上是一個口試，

and government officers ask applicants up to 10 of the 100 questions.

政府官員會從 100 個問題中 最多選擇 10 個來提問。

To pass, applicants must get at least six answers right.

要通過考試，申請者必須 至少要答對 6 題。

I looked at the test recently,

最近我看了試卷，

and I was aghast at the questions posed

我對所提的問題感到驚訝，

and what constitutes acceptable answers to the glaring omissions.

也被這些明顯有遺漏的 正確答案所震驚。

There's a question about the Statue of Liberty and where it is.

有一個關於自由女神像 和它的地理位置的問題。

There's no question about Ellis Island,

沒有問題是關於埃利斯島， （註：曾為移民管理局的所在地）

about the United States as an immigrant nation

或關於美國作為一個移民國家

and the countless anti-immigrant laws that were passed.

以及通過的無數反移民法律。

There's nothing about Native American history.

沒有關於美國原住民歷史的問題。

There's a question about what Martin Luther King, Jr. did,

有一個問題是關於 馬丁·路德·金恩做了什麼，

but largely, there's inadequate and irresponsible contexts

但在很大程度上， 關於非裔美國人的背景問題

about African Americans.

是不充分且不負責任的。

舉個例子。

Here's an example.

Question number 74 under the American history section

美國歷史部分的第 74 題，

asks applicants to "name one problem that led to the Civil War."

要求申請者「說出一個 導致美國內戰的問題。」

有三個可接受的答案：

There are three acceptable answers:

slavery,

奴隸制，

states' rights,

國家的權利，

economic reasons.

經濟原因。

Did my Lola and Lolo get that question?

我外公外婆知道這個問題要問什麼嗎？

If they did get the question,

如果他們知道，

do they even understand the history behind it?

他們了解這背後的歷史嗎？

How about my uncles and aunties and cousins

那我的叔叔、阿姨、堂兄弟姊妹

and millions of other immigrants who had to take that test

以及其他數百萬 不得不參加這項考試

to become Americans?

才能成為美國人的移民呢？

What do immigrants know about America before we get here?

在我們來到美國之前， 移民們對美國了解多少？

What kind of citizenship are we applying for?

我們要申請的公民身份 真正的含意是什麼？

And is that the same kind of citizenship we actually want to be a part of?

這和我們想要的 公民身份是一樣的嗎?

Come to think of it -- I've been thinking a lot about this --

想想看——這個我想了很多——

有尊嚴的公民是什麼樣子？

what does dignified citizenship look like?

How can I ask for it when I just arrived here 26 years ago,

我該如何要求這樣的公民身份呢？

我 26 年前剛來到這裡，

when Black and Native people

但黑人和原住民

who have been here in America for hundreds of years

早在美國住了數百年

are still waiting for theirs?

卻仍在等待有尊嚴的公民身份。

One of my favorite writers is Toni Morrison.

我最喜歡的作家之一是托妮·莫里森。

In 1996, a year before I found out I was in the country illegally,

1996 年，也就是我發現自己 非法入境的前一年，

my eighth-grade class was assigned to read "The Bluest Eye,"

八年級時，我們要讀《最藍的眼睛》 (The Bluest Eye)

Morrison's first book.

那是莫里森的第一本書。

Instantly, the book challenged me to ask hard questions.

突然間，這本書挑戰我 去問一些棘手的問題。

Why does Pecola Breedlove,

為什麼皮科拉·布里德洛瓦

this young Black girl at the center of the book,

這個書中的年輕黑人女孩，

why did she want blue eyes?

為什麼她想要藍色的眼睛？

Who told her to want it?

誰讓她想要這個？

Why did she believe them?

為什麼她相信他們？

Morrison said she wrote the book to illustrate what happens

莫里森說，她寫這本書是為了說明

當一個人屈服於她所說的 「主軸敘事」時會發生什麼。

when a person surrenders to what she called "the master narrative."

"Definitions," Morrison said, "belong to the definers, not the defined."

莫里森說：「定義屬於定義者， 而不是被定義者。」

Once I realized that I was here illegally,

當我意識到我在這裡是非法的，

I convinced myself that if I was not a legal citizen by birth or by law,

我說服自己，如果我從出生 或法律上都不是合法公民，

another kind of citizenship was possible.

另一種公民身份是可能的。

Citizenship as participation:

以參與行動來定義公民身份：

I engage.

我有參與。

I engage with all kinds of Americans, even Americans who don't want me here.

我和各種美國人打交道，甚至包括 那些不希望我在這裡的美國人。

Citizenship as contribution:

以貢獻來定義公民身份：

I give back to my community in whatever ways I can.

我盡我所能回饋社會。

As an undocumented entrepreneur -- and yes, there is such a thing --

我作為一位無合法身份的企業家， 是的，有這樣一件事 ：

I've employed many US citizens.

我已經僱用了許多美國公民。

Citizenship as education:

以教育來定義公民身份：

We can't wait for others to educate us about the past

我們不能等著別人 來教我們過去的事情

and how we got to this present.

以及我們是如何走到今天的，

We have to educate ourselves and our circles.

我們必須教育自己和我們的圈子。

Citizenship as something greater than myself:

以超越自身的角度來定義公民身份：

我認為無論是個人還是集體，

We are, I think, individually and collectively,

rewriting the master narrative of America.

都在改寫美國的主軸敘事。

The people who were once defined are now doing the defining.

曾經被定義的人 正在重新定義公民身份。

They're asking the questions that need to be asked.

他們在提出需要問的問題。

A core part of that redefinition

重新定義的核心部分是

is how we define not only who is an American

我們如何定義誰是美國人，

but what constitutes citizenship.

以及什麼構成了公民身份。

Which, to me, is our responsibility to each other.

對我來說，構成公民身份的 是我們對彼此的責任。

So consider your own personal narrative

考慮一下你自己的陳述的方式，

and ask yourself:

問你自己：

Where did you come from?

你來自哪裡？

How did you get here?

你怎麼到這裡的？

Who paid?

誰付錢讓你來這裡？