Laughing All the Way to Freedom: The Americanization of a Russian Emigre

Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

On this edition of Parallax Views, Prof. Emil Draitser returns to discuss his latest book Laughing All the Way to Freedom: The Americanization of a Russian Emigre. Growing up in a Jewish family in Soviet Union-era Odessa, Emil came to the United States in the 1970s and began a new life in America. His previous books Shush! Growing Up Jewish Under Stalin: A Memoir, Farewell, Mama Odessa: A Novel, and In the Jaws of the Crocodile: A Soviet Memoir are a trilogy that chronicles his experiences in both the Soviet Union and the U.S. Laughing All the Way to Freedom continues that exploration of Emil's experiences, specifically as an emigre. What does it mean to be an emigre from another land with a different culture? And when does one truly become American, in a cultural sense, once they've settled in the U.S.? In this conversation we discuss issues that face emigres like culture shock, Russian humor and Emil's appearance on the Merv Griffin show discussing the subject of Russian humor, working as a satirical writer in Russia, the power of humor to soften barriers between people, the Russian bombing of Odessa and Emil's feelings of PTSD over the Russo-Ukrainian war, what does Americanization mean and what is the road to Americanization, mass emigration from the Soviet Union and the parallels with the biblical story of Exodus, how Americans born of Russian descent view America and the differences between their understanding of America and their parents' understanding of America, America's core values as understood by a Russian emigre, the concept of freedom and law in relation to both America and Russia, and much, much more.