I related to your beautifully written piece, Susie. In 1943, my Jewish parents hired a 16-year-old black woman to do housework and watch over my three older sisters, Judy, Jane and Joan. Her name was Catherine Maclin.
She became indispensable to our family. She was intelligent, loving and caring.
When I was born in 1947, she took over from my mother in my upbringing, introducing me to the library and the city where we lived.
I adored her. One of my nieces named her child after Catherine. She remained with our family until 1990, when my mom passed away. Of course, I have no doubt about my parents holding some racist ideas. But I so appreciate the opportunity to write about Catherine, who was my “second mother.”
Jeri....Thanks for adding your story to the virtual anthology of people's memories of this sensitive subject. I'm aware that it is seldom talked about but, like you, it runs very deep for me.
Glad I didn't miss this one. It tore my heart with its raw racism and post-Holocaust Jewish privilege. Your vision is so deep and real, Susie - that's what I love most about you . . . saying it like it is and in a way that I can see (and I hope others see too).
How extraordinary, Susie, I had no idea. I grew up in Apartheid S. Africa, and my experience was similar to yours, right down to Liberal parents! My mom was also beautiful and I also was blonde with curly hair. I knew at 16 I had to leave S. Africa.
I really appreciate your comment, Jinks. The difference might be that in NYC, we were clueless about the racism. It didn't have a name like apartheid and was never spoken of. Even now, I felt that I was crossing some line in writing about this subject. It was a fact of life that went completely unacknowledged.
Susie--This was my experience, also. I was only 2 when we moved from UWS, but also was born into family with maids, baby nurses and huge prams. Race was not an awareness for me even growing up, altho being Jewish was. The picture is perfect.
I related to your beautifully written piece, Susie. In 1943, my Jewish parents hired a 16-year-old black woman to do housework and watch over my three older sisters, Judy, Jane and Joan. Her name was Catherine Maclin.
She became indispensable to our family. She was intelligent, loving and caring.
When I was born in 1947, she took over from my mother in my upbringing, introducing me to the library and the city where we lived.
I adored her. One of my nieces named her child after Catherine. She remained with our family until 1990, when my mom passed away. Of course, I have no doubt about my parents holding some racist ideas. But I so appreciate the opportunity to write about Catherine, who was my “second mother.”
Jeri....Thanks for adding your story to the virtual anthology of people's memories of this sensitive subject. I'm aware that it is seldom talked about but, like you, it runs very deep for me.
Glad I didn't miss this one. It tore my heart with its raw racism and post-Holocaust Jewish privilege. Your vision is so deep and real, Susie - that's what I love most about you . . . saying it like it is and in a way that I can see (and I hope others see too).
This piece was wrenching to write. ...and it's only the tip of the iceberg of my memories about "otherness."
Touching essay Susan. There are experiences and moments we all would live with more awareness, if ...
we could start life at age eighty and live backwards (paraphrasing Mark Twain).
The combination of the body's losses and the spirit's deepening is a rich area of exploration.
A very sensitive insight Susie. Thank you.
Thanks for your support, Robyn
Very sensitively written. And so true!
A very difficult piece to write, Mary. Thanks for being there.
How extraordinary, Susie, I had no idea. I grew up in Apartheid S. Africa, and my experience was similar to yours, right down to Liberal parents! My mom was also beautiful and I also was blonde with curly hair. I knew at 16 I had to leave S. Africa.
I really appreciate your comment, Jinks. The difference might be that in NYC, we were clueless about the racism. It didn't have a name like apartheid and was never spoken of. Even now, I felt that I was crossing some line in writing about this subject. It was a fact of life that went completely unacknowledged.
I am so grateful to learn this about you, Susie, and about American life.
In my blood, I only know about the Jewish middle class. A friend from Pittsburgh and another from LA both grew up like this, so it wasn’t just NYC.
Susie--This was my experience, also. I was only 2 when we moved from UWS, but also was born into family with maids, baby nurses and huge prams. Race was not an awareness for me even growing up, altho being Jewish was. The picture is perfect.
Thank you for recognizing this story. I was a little squeamish about writing it but it seems so true to me.