As the airplane landed in New York City, my family and I left behind our fatherland, the Netherlands. When the mainland came into view, we witnessed the Statue of Liberty welcoming us to America. That day, February 11, 1957, would dramatically change the course of our lives. A new language, culture, and opportunity were now the reality and challenge. We embraced our new family mission from day one: to assimilate into the American way of life.
There were several reasons why my parents decided to leave their family, friends, and culture behind. My father owned and operated a small grocery store in the town of Heemstede. Even back then, the larger, more efficient grocery stores made it difficult to stay profitable. My parents realized that we either needed to compete on a larger scale or work for a larger grocer, possibly in management. But one day my mother read about the opportunity to immigrate to America. In a matter of months, we completed our application, fulfilled the medical requirements, and were approved to travel to America. We memorialized our immigration journey from Holland to America on a small tile, where we engraved our names and the departure date.
