Adding "enemy alien" to my life experiences
February 2, 2025 1:21 PM Subscribe
I am a U.S. citizen who lives in Mexico as a Permanent Resident. Current events have led me to do some contingency planning in case I become an enemy alien. If you have gone through that experience or know of some good modern accounts, I'd love it if you'd share.
Response by poster: Sorry, I should have specified non-fiction.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:43 AM on February 3
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:43 AM on February 3
Well, this is World War II era, so only sort of modern, but The Farm in the Green Mountains by Alice Herdan-Zuckmayer does talk about this, among other things. The Zuckmayers were fleeing the Nazis and settled in the US for political reasons, and a lot of the book is about how they had to adapt to living on a farm, and what they thought about Americans/Vermonters they interacted with, etc., etc. but the book does include a bit on how things were for them as citizens of an enemy nation when the U.S. was actively at war with Germany/Austria.
What helped them, if memory serves, is that they had been living in this rural area for a while, and their neighbors (and local officials) knew them as good people who were not supportive of the Nazis. If you have been living in Mexico for a while then hopefully you are embedded in your community and have ongoing positive interactions with the people in it.
posted by gudrun at 10:19 AM on February 3 [1 favorite]
What helped them, if memory serves, is that they had been living in this rural area for a while, and their neighbors (and local officials) knew them as good people who were not supportive of the Nazis. If you have been living in Mexico for a while then hopefully you are embedded in your community and have ongoing positive interactions with the people in it.
posted by gudrun at 10:19 AM on February 3 [1 favorite]
Mod note: Two comments removed. AskMe has stricter guidelines, so please stick to answering the question being asked.
posted by loup (staff) at 12:49 PM on February 3
posted by loup (staff) at 12:49 PM on February 3
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district 9 posted by HearHere at 8:27 AM on February 3 [1 favorite]