Born In The U.S.A. - Expats Look Back

BERLIN

An excited, anxious mix of Americans and Germans crowded into the Babylon Theatre in Berlin last Tuesday to watch the election results roll in live on the big screen.

It was an eight-hour nocturnal marathon, with people switching between beer and coffee to calm their nerves and stay awake, respectively. As soon as the contest was called there was a storm of cheering, crying and dancing. It was 6 AM German time when Obama gave his acceptance speech. A new day was literally dawning.

"I want to apologize for using the word 'damn' earlier", said the MC, a slim black man with a broad smile, "but damn am I excited. I feel like I'm on Fantasy Island right now."

Our group finally stumbled out of the theatre at 8 AM, bleary-eyed and cotton-headed, and straight into a bakery for some rolls and coffee.

"Obama won?" asked a Turkish-German kid, in what seemed like mild disbelief.

"Obama won" I informed the bemused morning commuters on the subway-ride home.

"In case you were wondering, Obama won" I told a stranger I passed on the street.

For days after the election, there were parties -- and at least one American-style barbecue -- across Berlin, gatherings of Americans and Germans alike, all still reeling in various states of euphoria and disbelief.

The expatriates I talked to were proud of what had happened. People leave a country for various reasons but cultural and political disillusionment rank highly among them. These -- mostly young -- Americans described a new sense of optimism and possibility. Perhaps most importantly, many told me that Obama's victory made them more eager and likely to return to the United States. One Californian expat decided that same day that he would change his ticket and head home.

If America is indeed on the path to being cool again we might see a wave of this sort of voluntary repatriation. An estimated 100,000 Americans live in Germany alone and many are members of what the New York Times has dubbed Generation O, who volunteered, donated and voted in heavy numbers and who feel - to a degree rightfully so - that Obama is their president.

If he wants to keep their loyalty the new president will have to show them that he cares about their concerns. Even as he weighs which issues to tackle first, he'll have to work swiftly to promote a healthy economy that creates jobs for young Americans and he'll need to take bold steps to deal with the rising college costs that currently compound the effects of a poor job market by shackling graduates with debt before they can earn their first paychecks.

As Obama himself has acknowledged, it won't be easy. The honeymoon will end and it remains to be seen what sort of president he will be and what impact he'll have.

Nevertheless, come what may, come what surely will, America has made a bold move.

And to quote the Election Night MC - "Damn am I excited".

Comments

[jedriffe]

The election of Obama has certainly brought a sense of relief from the 8 years of the Bush administration to Americans in the US and abroad. However, if expats are moving back here and looking for work they will be shocked by the lack of job opportunities. The first thing we need in the US is a green jobs program that builds a new green infrastructure. A jobs program that employs the millions of America who need decent paying work and healthcare. A green jobs program would put solar panels on every home and commercial structure in the country. It would mean building community gardens so we could feed ourselves fresh, healthy foods without driving to the grocery store. We also need to invest in traditional infrastructure like roads, bridges and mass transit.

We need to push Obama and his advisers in these directions rather than let the Democratic party and lobbyists for big corporations dominate the discussion. Expats can be a major part of this force for change, from abroad as well as in the USA.

[Lulliloo]

I've been an expat for 37 years, 14 in Germany, 14 in the UK and the rest in the Netherlands.
I enlisted in 1971 in the USAF, even though I had a deferment to serve my country, serving ultimately in Europe. But I was also deeply troubled with what was going wrong and still wrong with America at the time. I've viewed America more as a foreigner than as an American since then, and was interested mostly in foreign policy.

But when i started listening to Barack Obama's speeches I became transfixed at the depth and breadth of this man's understanding, intelligence, eloquence and honesty. My curiosity became a 24/7 fixation for the past 3,5 months. I've studied perhaps a thousand of both the Dem/Rep, DNC & RNC, media, commentaries and tens of thousands of blogs & comments (and blogging myself). On the average, daily I would say I stand in awe again of this man for these same reasons. Conversely I am shocked and appalled as often by how low the Republican GOP and "base" has sunk.

I was at the Kurhuis in The Hague 4-5nov8, the biggest Netherlands US electionpolitical party for these election results, and the reaction regardless of nationality was the same you experienced: euphoria and a "pinch me" reality check.
Now we take our country back and help democracy evolve into "a more perfect union".

[Stefan Sirucek - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Lulliloo,

Thanks for your comment.

I was similarly addicted to the daily details of this epic/never-ending election. There was, and is, so much hanging in the balance.

Obama really said it during his acceptance speech, when he noted that "The true genius of America is that America can change."

It's difficult to say whether the election of a new president will be enough to dig us out of our current hole, yet the ability of America to renew itself and correct its mistakes remains one of its greatest strengths.

For the moment we've surprised the world and perhaps ourselves.

P.S. A friend of mine was at the Hague party. Lot's of country music, right?

[omeo2013]

During the election, I thought to myself several times, "If Obama wins, America might become a country worth returning to." Things are looking up.

[LauraNo]

I have to say, I'm thinking of going home now. I want to see what happens with health care, but I'm excited to think about going home. I wish I had been home Tuesday night. What a thing!