After living in Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, and the Philippines for the first 33 years of his life, Jozef Goethels immigrated to the United States in January 1970. He left the priesthood and taught taught philosophy, theology, and four foreign languages at Notre Dame Prep for 32 years.Reflecting on his experiences as an immigrant, Goethels collected a series of vignettes that show his journey through his cultural assimilation into the American way of life. His tale is partly biographical, tracing struggles to build a new life in a new country. It also covers views on food, war, politics, sports, and religion. Goethels has agreed to let Baltimore Fishbowl excerpt his essays from ”From Belgium to Baltimore: An Old Immigrant Reflects,” published by HNR Press this year. PrologueDaily we are being bombarded with television news about the thousands of people from all over the world who are crossing our borders illegally in search for a better life or hoping for asylum. At the same time, many other thousands are patiently waiting for their immigration approval after legally applying for entry but are in limbo because of the enormous backlog.It is obvious that not many other large countries in the world have an immigration crisis in such proportions. The United States has always been a country of immigrants, symbolized by the Statue of Liberty in New York with Emma Lazarus’ sonnet “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Libraries are full of histories of large swaths of immigrants who came to this country to start new lives. Most major cities have enclaves named after groups of immigrants from all over the world. What city does not have a Little Italy or China Town?What is it that makes the United States of America such a beacon of attraction for people around the world? Is it freedom? Is it because of its reputation as a land of opportunity? Or is it that a certificate of naturalization in the USA makes you a real American? Today we see many emigrate to the European Union, but not on a scale it happens in America. Some countries have closed their borders; others make it difficult, if not impossible to immigrate or to become a citizen.Democracy in AmericaOn a chilly October day, I was waiting at noon at the Peppermill restaurant in Towson, sipping a dry gin martini with garlic-filled olives and wondering who my host would be.The day before I had received a phone call from a man with a French accent inviting me to have lunch with him at my favorite restaurant. He knew I was originally from Belgium and assumed that I spoke French, one of languages of the country.“I know that you immigrated to this country 54 years ago,” he said, “and I wanted to talk with you about your experiences as an immigrant. It’s a subject I am very interested in.”When I asked him who he was, he replied, “Let it be a surprise, mon ami.”I had been a little apprehensive of meeting a French stranger who would not give his name, but then I thought the meeting was in a public place with other people around. His invitation intrigued me. The maître d’ accompanied my host to the table. An array of octogenarians, the usual clientele at the Peppermill, was looking at the handsome young man approaching my table. His bushy black hair matched the dark suit he wore, a suit that reminded me of 1800s fashion. His dark eyes above his long nose and small mouth reflected a sort of seriousness, signaling that he had a hard time smiling. His presence conveyed a kind of dignity. His accent and greeting me with ‘mon ami’ confirmed that he was a Frenchman.Shaking hands, he said, “Hello . . . Joseph, I presume. My name is Alexis Charles Henri Clèrel, Count of de Tocqueville. But my friends call me Alexis de Tocqueville.”I was flabbergasted. “It’s a great honor to meet you, Sir. I read your book Democracy in America a long time ago. You gave me a unique insight into the spirit of this country.”Our waitress approached and asked, “Do you want anything to drink before ordering, Sir?”“Sure, my dear, I love an aperitif. Bring me a Kir Royale. Chilled, with a lemon twist, please.”The woman looked puzzled. “What’s a Kir Royale, Sir?’“It’s champagne with Crème de Cassis.”“Champagne, we have. I’ll ask the bartender about that crème…”I had to smile. “How French of you, monsieur. Kir Royale.”“And how American of you, my friend,” he said, pointing at my martini. “A real Belgian would not have a dry martini with olives as an aperitif, but would have a red or dry vermouth, a glass of champagne or even a beer.”“Touché!” I acknowledged.With a satisfied smile the waitress placed the Kir Royale on the table. “I hope I have it right, Sir.” He tasted, and smacking his lips, said, “Perfect, ma chérie.”After a mutual toast, I said, “You told me that you wanted to know about my immigrant life. Before we do this, could you explain to me why you were so interested in the American experiment?”“It all started when I was tasked by the French monarchy to examine prisons and penitentiaries in the United States in 1831. This gave me the chance to travel widely throughout the country for nine months and to take notes on what I observed.“One of the most important things I observed was that the United States was so different from the European societies I came from. I lived in a time when the European aristocracies were in their last throes. For centuries the elites, the aristocracies, the blue bloods, and the church, had dominated and controlled all aspects of human life in France and beyond. What was different in America was that common Americans joined together to accomplish what the elite had accomplished for ages in Europe without caring what happened to the common folks.“I saw a society where hard work and money-making were the basic life philosophies and were a way to succeed. It was not your membership in a privileged elite that counted. I saw a society where the common person enjoyed unprecedented dignity and where the average man never had to defer to the elite.“Some people have said that I coined the term ‘individualism.’ I think this is indeed one of the most impressive American qualities, expressed in the confidence of the people in the spirit of equality, in the great opportunities offered to all individuals, and in the ability for people to fulfill their dreams.“There you have it, mon ami, in a nutshell what I wrote in my book. You must realize that my ideas are from the 1800s. Some have criticized my ideas about democracy in the USA as being different from what the Founding Fathers thought. Over the years, others have praised me for describing the true ’spirit of America.’  A lot has happened since I published my book in 1835, and that is why I am interested in the experiences of someone who came to America as immigrant and made his life here.”“Why don’t we order lunch, and then I can share with you what I found different here in the United States from the other countries I lived in before I became an immigrant.”“Agreed. You know, I am used to the French cuisine, so let’s not order what you call ‘fast food’ here,” he said, flashing a rare smile.“I suggest broiled crab cakes and coleslaw. There is nothing more Maryland than this.”“French fries or mashed potatoes as a side dish?” the waitress asked.“French fries, of course,” he said, “and make sure they are hot and crispy.” “By the way, I really don’t know why we call it French fries. We Belgians invented this delicacy in the late 1600s. And we make the best fries in the world.” My assertion did not seem to impress him greatly. Taking another sip from his Kir Royale, he chuckled, “Oh, I understand. You Flemish Belgians are not particularly fond of your French-speaking Walloon neighbors, and we could discuss this later. What I am particularly interested in is the way you saw things that were new or different to you when you arrived here. I would like to know how you eked out a living and what motivated you to apply for American citizenship.”The telephone next to my bed was ringing. I woke up from my dream at the Peppermill. My meeting with Alexis de Tocqueville and our conversation were clear in my mind. It triggered something in me. What if I explored what I had experienced in the 54 years as an immigrant to the USA? What if I told Alexis de Tocqueville how I became a Baltimorean and America?Politics anyone?Whenever we get together with friends or family around the dinner table, we are being warned not to talk about politics. Common experience teaches us that doing so can spoil the dinner and even have unpleasant consequences for our relationships.Then why should I take risks and reflect on my immigrant memories concerning politics. Why should I try to touch that porcupine?  In my life before Baltimore, I never had anything to do with politics. Unlike many immigrants, we did not come here to escape war or discrimination and persecution under political systems in our homeland.Many immigrants understandably are less trusting of political power than US-born residents. That changes when they become naturalized citizens and 54% of them become likely voters. A majority registers with the Democrats, although recently there seems to be a shift towards the right.It was not until 1977 and 1978 that we both obtained American citizenship and had a voice in the political process. From the onset, it was clear to us that the government system in the United States was different from European systems. In this country we have Congress, mainly divided into two parties, while in Europe most countries have Parliaments with, very often, a multitude of parties. Their system often makes it more difficult to reach agreement on matters. Recently it took Belgium more than a year to form a government after elections. Watching what is going on for the last few months in this country, however, makes me conclude that our system has its own problems.Not being able to vote did not mean that I was not interested in national or local politics in my early years. I recall being glued to the television during the Watergate hearings. Watching the political process evolving in front of my eyes increased my desire to be a part of it. How could one not be caring about politics when antiwar protests were going on all around the country? Or when we stood in line at the gas pump during the 1973 oil crisis?  International events were not less captivating: Nixon’s visit to China, the beginning of skyjacking, the Munich Olympic massacre, the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland, and Marcos’ martial law in the Philippines.As new immigrants to Baltimore we were living in the Schaefer era. William Donald Schaefer would serve four terms as mayor of Baltimore before becoming governor of Maryland in 1987. It was so encouraging to see the revival of Baltimore under Schaefer and making it into a national tourist attraction. The aquarium, the convention center, and the Inner Harbor contributed greatly to this. Schaefer was a “hands-on” mayor who made sure that potholes were fixed the next day and he facilitated home ownership by offering vacant houses for one dollar.In my former life as a priest I had been supporting the progressive tendencies in the Catholic Church expressed in many of the Vatican II doctrines and practices. I think that was one of the reasons why I was initially leaning politically towards the democrats. I admired what Schaefer was doing, and he was a democrat. And since Maryland was basically a blue state, I thought that the Republicans were not very influential. But by the time I got naturalized as a citizen, I had changed my views and became a member of the Republican Party. I honestly do not recall how I came to that decision at that time, but I increasingly had felt more comfortable with the republican philosophy, coined in President Reagan’s statement, ‘Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.’ And I signed up as a Republican.I confess that I sometimes felt like Kermit the Frog singing ‘It’s not easy to be green’ or ‘It’s not easy to be a Republican.’ Particularly if you have been called a ‘basket of deplorables’ or ‘extremist.’ At Notre Dame most of my colleagues were staunch Democrats and so were some of my closest friends. Fortunately, this never prevented me from maintaining my friendships by cautiously venturing on the thin ice of politics.Although I have never missed an election since I became a citizen, I have never actively campaigned for any candidate in Maryland or nationwide. My wife is more politically active and has, for years, served as election judge in local and national elections.Today, immigrants are more important than ever in the political world of America, as targets of campaigns and eventually as participants. Politics, however, has changed. I am nostalgic for the time when politicians could disagree with one another but had a couple of beers together. On both sides they are yelling insults and are forgetting that they must work together for the people instead of trying to get quoted on the evening news. Instead of politics being a state of art, it is becoming a state of growing apart. No wonder RealClearPolitics finds that only 24.1% think the country is in the right direction.Watching the evening news on FOX, CNN, PBS I feel that they don’t report the news anymore, but all seem to have an agenda, carefully choosing what to discuss and what to omit. Suffering from mild to severe news coverage disease, I might decide to stop watching political news for my Lent.Leaving the morass of present-day politics, I would like to share some thoughts on a couple of things in politics I have noticed in the five decades I lived in this state and city.Anybody who has some sense of history knows that there has always been corruption in politics. Even Cicero believed that the Roman politicians of his time were corrupt because of their loss of virtue that had been the main attribute of Romans in earlier days.Maryland seems to have a grim history of corruption and compared to other states, ranks among the 14 worst in the nation. There is quite a list of Maryland and Baltimore office holders who were involved in scandals. Without getting into details, we could mention Governors Marvin Mandel and Spiro Agnew, and office holders Daniel Brewster, Sheila Dixon, Catherine Pugh, and recently Marilyn Mosby, just to name a few.Had they lived according to the advice to politicians of the Roman consul and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero, they would have avoided the charges against them. Let me quote Cicero’s counsel: “Let those who are to preside over the state obey two precepts of Plato, – one, that they so watch for the wellbeing of their fellow citizens that they have reference to it in whatever they do, forgetting their own private interests; the other, that they care for the whole body politic, and not, while they watch over a portion of it, neglect other portions. For, as the guardianship of a minor, so the administration of the state is to be conducted for the benefit, not of those to whom it is entrusted, but of those who are entrusted to their care.” Cicero also said, “Any man can make mistakes, but only the idiot persists in his error.”I also observe that Americans are a forgiving people and often overlook the errors politicians make and focus on the things they did well; or they put up with corruption because they feel they are getting something out of it.A second issue that has baffled me forever is the state of public schools in Baltimore. Politics and education seem to be inherently connected.  I must preface my views by stating that Maryland has many stellar public schools that have served the state well for ages. But since my arrival here in 1970 I have constantly heard about the funds Baltimore schools needed to improve and the millions of dollars allotted to them. The dire situation of non-performance seems to persist forever. A 2022 report card scores schools on a 100-point scale. Schools earning 75 points or greater earn five stars, 60 to 74 points is a four-star rating, 45 to 59 is three stars, 30 to 44 is two stars and anything below is one star. 75% of city schools were scoring below average with one or two stars.How do we explain that Baltimore City schools, with a $1.7 billion budget and spending $22,424 per student, cannot teach the children to read or to count? It is one of the highest amounts in America for large school systems. In 2022 only 10 percent of fourth graders and 15 percent of eight-graders were proficient in reading. Many private parochial schools spend an average of $12,750 per student but the children can read and count. For $22,424 you could send your kid to a private school where 100% percent end up in college! Something must be basically wrong when American children score high in self-esteem but cannot read. My intention here was merely to pose the question. I leave it to the local politicians and the media to explain who is to blame for this situation. Perhaps we can apply Cicero’s advice here to the management of the city schools: “The administration of the state is to be conducted for the benefit, not of those to whom it is entrusted, but of those who are entrusted to their care.” And these are my five cent contributions to politics. I just hope that I don’t have any porcupine quills on my hands.The cover of Jozef Goethels’ collection of essaysJozef Goethels emigrated to the United States in 1970 and taught at Notre Dame Prep for more than 30 years. He is the author of several books, and his latest, From Belgium to Baltimore, is available on Amazon.