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The Recession Refugee

We looked like a mini-United Nations. There was Dorji, an older Asian male with an inviting smile and organized desk. Eshagh, the 15 year-old class clown, couldn’t stop laughing and barely made it past “Ich.” Hussein demonstrated his extensive vocabulary by speaking for five minutes about kitchen utensils.

Introductions took 40 minutes because none of us spoke the same language. Yet, we all found ourselves in Vienna, Austria, taking Beginners German for similar reasons. Theirs became apparent on the third day of the course, when we learned how to say our nationalities.

“Ich komme aus Afghanistan!” I come from Afghanistan.

Ich komme aus Somalia!

Mongolia!

Angola!

Then came my awkward, unexpected announcement: “Ich komme aus den U.S.A.”

Not only was I the only woman in the class, but I was the only student who was not from an impoverished or war-torn country. I soon learned that I was the only one in the room who did not hold official refugee status.

The American pioneer spirit, which vanished during the booms of the 80s and 90s, is reviving us.

As you can imagine, my Afghan and Somali classmates were curious about me, especially since the course was specifically offered to teach “flüchtlinge” or “refugees” basic German skills. But when they asked me, “Why are you here?” I found myself giving the same response that they did: “I’m a refugee. “

If you had told me months ago that I’d be conversing in German with teenage refugees from Afghanistan, I would have assumed it was a coveted assignment. Any aspiring Nick Kristof would relish in writing that story. The best journalists do the difficult interviews with the impoverished and disempowered. And becoming a celebrated journalist had been a life-long goal. In different times, I would have told you that I was sure to become someone who “empowers the voiceless through the written word.”

In fact, that’s what I did say nine months ago, during my final interview for the Rhodes Scholarship. I talked about pharmaceutical distribution, HIV/AIDS, and the gross domestic product of Namibia ($6.75 billion). I developed a nuanced road map for peace in the Middle East in less than 30 seconds. I showed the distinguished panel that I could become the next Kristof, who would one day write for The New York Times.

And then I lost to an NFL draft pick who already blogged for The New York Times. At that moment, I learned two important life facts. First, no matter how good you think you are, there is always someone (actually, lots of people) better than you. When you watch the Harvard guy who built and patented a mechanical fish lose the Nerd Olympics to a brilliant, deserving starting safety/doctor-to-be with a multimillion-dollar contract, you have to laugh. Second, when school is no longer the best (i.e., free) option, you have to find a job. Fast. That was a harsh lesson in the midst of the worst economic downturn to hit America since 1929.

One would think that summa cum laude graduates of top tier universities would have little trouble finding employment, even in the midst of a downturn. But as my self-worth and job options dwindled, I encountered many valedictorians, class presidents and scholarship finalists who found themselves in similar sinking ships as this Georgetown graduate.

Many successful students swam to the closest lifeboat: law school. With some universities reporting increases of up to 30% in law-school applications over 2008, it appears many Americans are taking refuge in the halls of universities, despite the six-figure debt they’ll accumulate.

Other recession refugees took the last boat to Europe and are working as waitresses or nannies in Milan, London, and Paris. I am now working as an au pair to finance Deutsch classes, writing dreams and an apple strudel addiction.

While many of my friends in the States find this career move “odd” or “outrageous,” my fellow recession refugees in Europe and Africa keep me hopeful. It’s women like Cara, a former valedictorian of Penn State University who teaches elementary school art in Milan. It’s men like Mitesh, who quit his job at a New York investment bank to volunteer with orphans in Rwanda. It’s enterprising crusaders, innovators and artists who aren’t just “taking a year off” or waiting out the crisis. They’re gaining new skills and maintaining the same aspirations they held when the economy was soaring.

While economic uncertainty has paralyzed much of the world, the recession refugee is revitalizing the American work ethic in ways we haven’t seen since, well, the Great Depression. The American pioneer spirit, which vanished during the booms of the 80s and 90s, is reviving us, the millennial generation, and forcing us to adapt to this odd new world. Whether these refugees are volunteering in the developing world or working menial jobs to finance creative expression, the recession refugee is not wasting away. The recession refugee is thriving and although abroad, reviving the best of America’s spirit.

Tags: economy, essay, The Unemployed Life, travel