Solange Graziani

Retrospectively, I can say for sure that my life was the direct consequence of the era of the war on a youngster raised during the Nazi occupation of France. This trauma and my natural instinct for independence developed into a passion for freedom for myself and others.

Because of the war, I had to study during 6 long years in the religious boarding school that I hated from the first day. At the end of the war, I finished my studies in a private institution in Paris. I never wanted to be a teacher, probably because my mother made the decision for me; as the 4th child of the family, I just had to follow the footsteps of the 3 girls ahead of me and the parent’s orders. However, I recognized that through teaching I would have the opportunity to travel because it was always the policy of French government to keep its influence in foreign countries through cultural exchanges.

In 1955, with the end of the war in Vietnam, came my first opportunity to leave France. During 4 years, I enjoyed the privileges of a well-paid teacher with the services of a cheap local domestic. Moreover, all of you know by now how pleasant it is to teach Asian students without disciplinary problems.

However, good things cannot last forever. The American counselors were quickly replaced by American troops in 1959; I requested to teach next door to Vietnam, in Cambodia. I was lucky enough to get a job in Siemreap where the ruins of the 10th century Angkor Vat temple are located.

In 1962, I got married and had to move to Phom-Penh, the Cambodian capital. But again, someone in Washington decided it was not enough to fight in Vietnam; the war crossed the border, bringing fear to the Khmer people and to me.

I had to leave Cambodia. Influenced by the Canadian officer member for the international committee for implementing the so called peace Treaty in the Far East, my husband decided to move to Canada. In 1963, I arrived in Quebec City just on time for the birth of my Pascal.

Canada is a beautiful country, but with too long and too cold winters. In August 1968, the Graziani family obtained the famous American green card. We attached a pop out tent trailer behind the car, followed the East Coast and arrived in Miami; since it was difficult to continue further with a car, we decided to stay there. Well, previously, I had been assured by the Miami School District that I would be hired. However, someone decided that my Declaration of intention of becoming American citizen was not good enough and I was coldly told to come back in 5 years, when I would have my American citizenship in my pocket. (Sometimes I hear that Americans don’t feel welcome in France, but I tell you, I certainly didn’t feel welcome in the United States!) One day, I was hired to teach French conversation at Florida International University. It was a part time job, so I attended the same university with 12 units every semester. I got my Bachelor Degree, then my teaching certificate However, when my son turned 14, as a French Teacher, I decided that my son should go to French school, like the one in L.A. In 1978, the house in Miami was sold, the pop out trailer once more attached to the back of the car and the family headed for L.A. Now, you can guess the last part of my life. No, not completely; you know that a Florida teaching certificate is not valid in California, I didn’t. And once again, I had to go back to the University to take those mandatory classes. Finally, I got a teaching certificate good…. For life.

I considered my teaching at Gardena High School like the highlight of my life, or rather like the symbol of my life. I had the final privilege to have in a same classroom, under the same roof, so many students who came to this country in search of the same goal as mine; Freedom