Notes on immigration

A childhood friend has posted this on his Facebook page, which I am re-posting here. My mother wrote down her story and it sounds very similar. My family were in a DP camp in Italy and were almost prevented from coming to the States because the doctor thought my mother might have TB. She did not and my father "convinced" the doctor that she did not in a rather interesting way. They came over on the Queen Mary through Ellis Island like so many millions of others. My family name is etched on a plaque there. They were sponsored by my aunt and uncle in Philadelphia and in turn sponsored my aunt and uncle who were sent to Australia first instead. Those were dark times, filled with the light of hope.

These are dark times, but the light is burning out.

Roman Shwed

December 26, 2017 at 4:06pm ·

ALL YOU IMMIGRATION EXPERTS, CHILDREN OF 1st or 2nd GENERATION U.S. CITIZENS OF UKRAINIAN DESCENT, HERE'S SOME INFO THAT WILL BE USEFUL WHEN YOU DECIDE TO COMPARE LEGAL IMMIGRATION AFTER WW2 WITH THE PRESENT SITUATION:

AFTER WORLD WAR 2, WE HAD NO PAPERS, PASSPORTS, BIRTH CERTIFICATES, AND WERE HOUSED IN D.P. (DISPLACED PERSON) CAMPS, WHERE UNRA & IRO RELIEF ORGANISATIONS, FED US AND CHECKED US OUT...OUR PARENTS WERE VETTED, EXTREMELY VETTED... EVEN I WAS VETTED, AT AGE 9...THE POLISH SPEAKING ARMY OFFICER THAT INTERVIEWED ME, STARTED BY ASKING - "HOW MANY JEWS DID YOUR FATHER KILL"? THE VETTING PROCESS TOOK A LONG TIME. UKRAINIANS HAD TO CLAIM THE NATIONALITY OF "STATELESS" IF THEY WANTED TO GO TO SOME WESTERN COUNTRIES, AND NOT BE REPATRIATED TO SOVIET UKRAINE AND THE GULAG.

THEY HAD TO BE "HEALTHY", AND OUR FAMILY WAS EXAMINED SCRUPULOUSLY. EVEN OUR DEPARTURE DATE WAS RESCHEDULED BECAUSE I WAS SICK WITH A COLD.

TO BE ADMITTED TO THE U.S., WE HAD TO HAVE A U.S. CITIZEN SPONSOR US & GUARANTY OUR WELFARE, IF WE HAD NO JOBS TO SUPPORT OURSELVES. THE "UNITED UKRAINIAN AMERICAN RELIEF COMMITTEE" (UUARC) TOOK CARE OF US, AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER D.P.'s, BY FINDING SPONSORS AND JOBS FOR MANY OF US.

WE DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR SOCIAL SECURITY. WE RECEIVED NO WELFARE, NO MEDICAL INSURANCE, NO FOOD STAMPS, NO ANYTHING. MY PARENTS, AS DID MANY OTHERS, FOUND JOBS, PAID TAXES, AND MANAGED TO GIVE MY SISTER AND ME A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION.

WE HAD TO REGISTER OUR ADDRESS WITH THE GOVERNMENT EVERY YEAR, PAY THE IRS THEIR INCOME TAX, AND BOYS HAD TO REGISTER FOR THE DRAFT WHEN THEY REACHED THE AGE OF 17+, WHICH I DID IN 1957. SOME BOYS FOUGHT & DIED IN THE KOREAN WAR, AND RECEIVED THEIR CITIZENSHIP POSTHUMOUSLY.

NOT EVERYONE GOT TO GO TO THE U.S. - SOME WENT TO ENGLAND, FRANCE, ITALY, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, CANADA, AUSTRIA, AUSTRALIA, VENEZUELA, ARGENTINA, VENEZUELA, BRAZIL, JUST TO MENTION A FEW DESTINATIONS.

THOSE WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS, SUCH AS T.B., AND OTHER COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, WEREN'T ACCEPTED TO MOST COUNTRIES, AND WOUND UP STAYING IN GERMANY.

I HOPE THIS CLARIFIES A THING OR TWO FOR YOU AND YOU WILL NOT SPREAD FALSE INFORMATION, JUST BECAUSE YOU HATE THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.... THAT WOULD BE MISLEADING & SIMPLY JUST WRONG.