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01 Change by Tracy Chapman
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My name is Phyllis.
I moved to America from Jamaica when I was a young girl with my mother and my two sisters.
We had know health insurance.
I went to high school.
I am fifty-three years old.
I have one son.
I’ve been cleaning the houses of rich white America for thirty years.
My 38F breast breaking my back as I vacuum and vacuum.
I have know health insurance.
Until three years ago I lived in a house with my boyfriend Winston of seventeen years, our son, my two sisters, my sisters three children, and my brothers son.
Our house had two bedrooms.
Three years ago I married Winston.
Winston worked at an auto body shop.
He had know health insurance.
Together we bought our first house.
We bought furniture.
We had a mortgage.
On December 22, 2007 Winston dropped dead.
Winston had a massive heart attack.
Winston had know health insurance.
One year later I am living with my son.
I still clean the houses of rich white America.
My 38F breast still breaking my back.
We have nothing.
I cannot pay my mortgage.
We still have know health insurance.
I'm having trouble playing the song but know it well. Your work was absolutely heartbreaking. It's so realistic and fit so well with the song. Thinking about what immigrants go through to come to this country and then to have no insurance and work terrible jobs such as this is so sad. Tracey Chapman's lyrics fit because it does make you wonder if people knew what they were in for here would they have even made the journey? Is this based on someone you know? Do you feel as though there's almost an institutionalized racism that prevents people from being able to "live the American dream"?
javillar 1/10/2008

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01 Change by Tracy Chapman