Being a European-American

Questions of Identity, Culture and Adaptation
by Neal R. Karski

I began my journey into the unknown at the age of 12 from Eastern Europe, Poland. I had been born an American yet had spent only a couple of years there before moving to my native land. Living on the brink of the Western and Eastern worlds that diverged from each other vastly due to the varying ideologies, religions and economic policies, I was only had a small taste of the “over-Atlantic influence”. This influence largely depended on sports apparel, music and cinema products. Otherwise, Poles lived their lives the way they desired, or rather how their somewhat conservative yet recently revolutionized culture dictated.

That was before…

And now… many years later I sit back at look at the path that I have marked the steps in my life on in the United States of America as a European-American.

And it has been astoundingly difficult to identify yourself fully with the virtues of either society from the beginning. I believe this lies at the core of many immigrants who come to the United States – a melting pot of nationalities, cultures, traditions and ethnicities. In Europe, we’re taught certain ways of behavior, manners, ethics, numerous etiquettes, interaction with friends, strangers or family, and even how to exactly tie your shoe or ride your bike. Yet after attempting to carry out these “lessons” here, it seemed as if they were not effective or that many people of different ages were not familiar with them. Different land, different creed.

Throughout these years of my life here in the United States, which engulfed residing in the Carolinas and the Chicagoland, I gradually realized that as a European I needed to retain my true sense of origin, values and inner conscience, if you may. Frequently, I failed to do so, but I came right back up to tackle the challenges of adapting to a culture which was a world way. To this day, I see distinct differences in the lifestyles of Americans and Europeans and attempt to find balance – a happy median. Generally, I noticed that Europeans, like all other nationalities and ethnicities in the U.S. tend to find others of the same “kind” more comfortable to establish friendships, as they are able to relate to them on a closer level. Personally, I found that very true, yet my outgoing nature allowed me to meet other notable friends and figures that did not belong to my native realm.

But quite oft’, I would find myself confused… pondering upon my actions. My European side would say: “That’s wrong, or inappropriate,” and my American side would say: “Go on, it’s OK”. This bewilderment arose with dozens of events, people and place that I have encountered. Yet the necessities of life such as faith, family and giving back to others that I have learned to cherish in Europe have helped me to make two ends meet and I think that after linguistic and social struggles, I was able to find a spot in this country. A spot that would elevate me to progress and development of my character, and eventually success…

The Quest for Identity: Being a European-American

by George A. Miu

From the onset of my American journey, I sought to find a common denominator that reconciled my Eastern European heritage with my adopted homeland. There are two prominent parts to this task: the first is becoming wise enough to let go of any unnecessary habits, and the second is gaining enough vision so as to incorporate only beneficial thought patterns.

Without a doubt, the United States has very much to offer in terms of self-discovery and the improvement of oneself. Sure, the cynics will all sneer into their chins and say that America is evil, and that the culture has deteriorated and has proven itself to be a burden to the world time and time again. I reply that, if it were such, immigrants from all over creation would not flock to America like they do. As with all things, the US is capable of corrupting an individual who is unable to keep his-or-her-self in check; there’s all the casinos and hookers out there, waiting. But what is indicative of the fact that these define America more convincingly than, say, hard-working families hoping the send their kids to college? I am sure that the latter category is more numerous than the former. So let’s save that easy breath with which we criticize the US and use the surplus of energy to engage in legitimate reflection about what best exemplifies America.

As far as Euro-Americans go, there are several things that we must come to terms with. For the most part, Europe is not as large, plentiful or well-organized as the United States. The New World contains an over-abundance of activity that easier-living Europeans are baffled by. The adjustment cannot, and must not, occur overnight, as many born-and-bred Yanks (pardon the mild pejorative for some of you) happen to believe. At first glance, America threatens newcomers, with its bustling cities and gargantuan suburbs, the centers of a productivity that the Old World cannot conceive of matching. Eventually, the shock wears off, and the first-generation immigrant is better equipped to assimilate American-isms.

Of course, any non-American will have some kind of burden that relates to the home country. Families grow up, age, and die, societies evolve beyond what their original scope, ultimately rendering the expatriate homeless, for all intents and purposes. The longer a citizen of the EU is a resident of the US, the more irreversible the whole process becomes. The crucial matter is that we are okay with that.

Just last Thursday, I became a citizen of the United States of America, having spent five whole years here. My own, personal journey is far from completed; I would, however, be foolish to say that I have not changed – become nearly unrecognizable – with respect to who I once was. The perpetual act of dropping an outdated habit in favor of a modern one can have severe repercussions. I speak from experience when I say it’s a risk I’m more than willing to take in exchange for a shot at a better life.

Doctors in Our Society: Life Savers or Businessmen?

Doctors in Our Society: Life Savers or Businessmen?
by Neal R. Karski

Thus we arrive at the subjects of health care, medicine, doctors, health insurance, etc. In the United States, at current times, the above stated are very significant issues, politically and socially. With the continuing health care debate and political quarrels regarding who should get what in a justified manner, contemporary doctors are now pressured into making important choices. And not only will the health care professional ponder about the income he or she makes, but the moral and ethical decisions that are carried out.

The medical field, which requires a lot of schooling, experience and responsibility, is now much more competitive and the room for error is even smaller. Many more college students are taking on the challenge of extensive curriculums to “become doctors, obtain Ph.D.’s and acquire pre-fixes”. This said, plenty of doctors are forced to take measures they’re not accustomed to, to develop relationships with their patients (think customer loyalty) or simply seek excessive treatments and repetitive office appointments to culminate as much revenue as possible. Just take a second to think about it yourself… sounds familiar?

I will now attempt to distinguish between the two of types of doctors, briefly and to the best of my mental abilities.

The Life Savers

I’ve once had my doctor cook up a three month prescription for one of my medications to prevent re-occurring charges for trivial 15-minute “maintenance” appointments. This showed me that instead of re-scheduling me monthly and adding on the bill, the doctor was rather more concerned about my well being, not the cash outflow from my pocket. I’ve had many experiences with doctors, both positive and negative, and I was able to pinpoint the differences between the ones who truly cared about fulfilling the rightful duties of their professions, and those who were solely after their self-interest. The Life Savers are doctors who know and understand the pain their patients go through… and are inspired by their ethics and goals to cure and treat the illnesses that those patients are faced with. They are the heroes of our society, who regardless of patients possessing low or high quality insurance; strive to help out of satisfaction for making others’ lives better. The money comes in regardless, from a plethora of sources, when the number of patients is consistent and the doctors retain high ratings and positive review scores. The Life Savers are doctors that can be characterized as trustworthy, reliable and communicate intently to foster a healthy relationship with their patients.

The Businessmen

Doctors… or money-making, money-hungry machines? Take your pick. The competitive industry, as I said before, has forced the doctors to look more closely at their financial pools and expunge more costs out of their patients. But not all of the doctors did so, just the Businessmen who decided their revenues from the medical profession are the top priority over their patients’ complex cases of illnesses, diseases and injuries. The Businessmen will use trickery and persistence to ensure the patient returns to their office as frequent as possible, on the pretense that the follow-up appointments are necessary regardless of the patient’s condition. They are at times entangled in the corporate scandals, bureaucratic conspiracies and may be involved in contingent agreements with hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers, who pay them “commission”. These Businessmen are not doctors; they’re vultures that are waiting for patients and illnesses to arrive at their doorstep and bring them yet another treasure chest of material value, not a human being’s joy of being healthy.

My advice: Next time that one should pick a doctor or continue to see one, there is much room for prior analysis and research to pick the right one.

God Bless Friends

Doctors in America – Honorable Healers or Harbingers of Hoaxes?
by George A. Miu

There is no grandiose secretive veil surrounding the fact that an “MD” suffix is equivalent to a comfortable financial life in the United States, where a six-figure salary is all-but-guaranteed. Nowadays, it seems like all of the obstacles that an aspiring doctor must overcome are mere necessary sacrifices in the hunt for riches and prestige. This mindset is tearing our nation apart and has the potential to cause harm to a great deal of people.

Nevertheless, there are many devoted health professionals out there, whose career choice had nothing to do with money, and who ought to be praised by the rest of us. Sadly, the practice of putting on a humane face, declaring an undying love for medicine, and laughing all the way to the bank, is an increasingly common one. At least this is how masses of “pre-med” undergrads, situated in colleges all over creation, regard the status quo.

This is folly! Besides the obvious risks involved in terms of medical competency, we are gradually inching towards ushering in a generation of doctors who lack the devotion and selflessness that their forefathers took for granted, even if the expertise is intact.

Suppose that ObamaCare, the insurance “overhaul” that has just been passed in congress, saves the government money, as we are being led to believe; this necessarily entails that medical professionals pocket less. In that case, I smell an exodus, which will result in shortages of doctors the likes of which have never been seen in first world countries.

On the other hand, suppose that Obama et comp are wrong, and that the new system will actually bankrupt America. Consequently, doctors will be rolling around in money, but the profession will lose the luster that attracts so many honest people towards it. This will, of course, result in shortages of doctors the likes which have never been seen … well you get the point.

I am certain that there are scores of fine doctors out there, who are being overworked and under-appreciated. By making the process of education so mercenary, we are opening the door for opportunists, glory-seekers and greedy-types, who have no business being in the industry, and who go against the philosophy instilled by the honest individuals I have just praised. The harbingers of hoaxes are well on their way to overrunning the honest healers, and transforming one of the most crucial professions in society into a financial game. No civilized society must allow this to come to pass.

So, I encourage all of us to take action and plead with one another so that we may stop propagating megalomaniacal doctor-stereotypes, in which we fantasize of easy money in exchange for little work and much glory. I ask medical schools to reduce the classroom requirements (but not too drastically) in favor of extended volunteer time in clinical settings, and not laboratories. Finally, I ask all who are involved in the process of guiding individuals towards medical school to be more discerning in their assessments of who is truly enamored with the profession, and who is doing it for ulterior motives. The signs will always be there for those who seek them out. Drop the algorithm, and bring back the human elements in the admissions processes. Then, maybe we’ll even be healthy enough to give ourselves a pat on the back when we’re older.