Rosa was seventeen and she was Spanish. Amalfitano was…
““Rosa was seventeen and she was Spanish. Amalfitano was fifty and Chilean. Rosa had had a passport since she was ten. On some of their trips, remembered Amalfitano, they had found themselves in strange situations, because Rosa went through customs by the gate for EU citizens and Amalfitano went by the gate for non-EU citizens. The first time, Rosa threw a tantrum and started to cry and refused to be separated from her father. Another time, since the lines were moving at different speeds, the EU citizens’ line quickly and the noncitizens’ line more slowly and laboriously, Rosa got lost and it took Amalfitano half an hour to find her. Sometimes the customs officers would see Rosa, so little, and ask whether she was traveling alone or whether someone was waiting for her outside. Rosa would answer that she was traveling with her father, who was South American, and she was supposed to wait for him right there. Once Rosa’s suitcase was searched because they suspected her father of smuggling drugs or arms under cover of his daughter’s innocence and nationality. But Amalfitano had never trafficked in drugs, or for that matter arms. •””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A young Spanish girl and her older Chilean companion face bureaucratic and cultural challenges at EU customs, highlighting identity, power, and fear.
In simple terms: Rosa and Amalfitano encounter customs problems because of their different nationalities.
Key Takeaway
Navigate systems with awareness of cultural and legal differences.
Themes
identity
power
bureaucracy
immigration
family
Mood
an
tense
Type
narrative
social commentary
When to use this quote
- travel
- customs encounters
- family trips
- legal documentation
- cross‑cultural interactions
Key Concepts
nationality
authority
vulnerability
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we protect children in complex bureaucratic settings?
- What reforms could reduce such disparities?
A Different Perspective
Systems may be biased, and children can be especially vulnerable.