--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I learned very quickly that when you…" description: "\"I learned very quickly that when you emigrate, you lose the crutches that have been your support; you must begin from zero, because the past is erased ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/isabel-allende-266_care_i-learned-very-quickly-that-when-you-emi_3112528.jpg" --- # I learned very quickly that when you emigrate, you lose… ![“I learned very quickly that when you emigrate, you lose the crutches that have been your support; you must begin from zero, because the past is erased with a single stroke and no one cares where you’re from or what you did before.” quote by Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/isabel-allende-266_care_i-learned-very-quickly-that-when-you-emi_3112528.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/isabel-allende-266_care_i-learned-very-quickly-that-when-you-emi_3112528.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/77a/isabel-allende-266_care_i-learned-very-quickly-that-when-you-emi_3112528.jpg) > “I learned very quickly that when you emigrate, you lose the crutches that have been your support; you must begin from zero, because the past is erased with a single stroke and no one cares where you’re from or what you did before.” [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Immigration erases past identities, forcing a fresh start where previous status no longer matters. **In simple terms:** Immigration resets your life. Key Takeaway Embrace new beginnings, let go of past labels. Themes identity migration reinvention Mood reflective hopeful Type narrative motivational When to use this quote - career change - personal growth - social integration Key Concepts social displacement cultural adaptation Questions to Reflect On - What parts of your past can you keep? - How do you rebuild support networks? A Different Perspective It may downplay the trauma of loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Crutches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crutches/) [Emigrate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emigrate-1738493/) [Emigrate Lose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emigrate-lose-5439645/) [No one cares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-one-cares/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past Erased](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-erased-410584/) [Quickly Emigrate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quickly-emigrate-5439646/) [Strokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strokes/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Zero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zero/) [Zero Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zero-past-5439647/) ## Related quotes > [“One's past can't be erased, it can only be learned from, the child taught her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-balcomb/one-s-past-can-t-be-erased-it-can-only-be-learned-from-the-child/) [H. L. Balcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-balcomb/) > [“The past, has been erased; the present, forgiven; and the future, redeemed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/the-past-has-been-erased-the-present-forgiven-and-the-future-redeemed/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [The past can never be erased. It is always going to be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffree-star/the-past-can-never-be-erased-it-is-always-going-to-be-there/) [Jeffree Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffree-star/) > [The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-past-was-erased-the-erasure-was-forgotten-the-lie-became-the-truth/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Everything faded into mist. The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/everything-faded-into-mist-the-past-was-erased-the-erasure-was/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [When you got born again your past was not erased, it became non-existent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/when-you-got-born-again-your-past-was-not-erased-it-became-non/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [Emigrate or Degenerate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/emigrate-or-degenerate/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [I actually did try to emigrate to Australia a long time ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-actually-did-try-to-emigrate-to-australia-a-long-time-ago/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [You don't need a passport and you don't need no visas, you don't need to designate or emigrate before you can see Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/you-don-t-need-a-passport-and-you-don-t-need-no-visas-you-don-t-need/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [Canada is a place of infinite promise. We like the people, and if one ever had to emigrate, this would be the destination, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/canada-is-a-place-of-infinite-promise-we-like-the-people-and-if-one/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [“Culture! Yes—if we had it! But there are just a few little local patches, dying out here and there for lack of—well, hoeing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/culture-yes-if-we-had-it-but-there-are-just-a-few-little-local/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [“I've been in love once and if I felt it coming on again I tell you I'd emigrate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-ve-been-in-love-once-and-if-i-felt-it-coming-on-again-i-tell-you-i/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [A lot of Polish and Russian Jews had this experience: they would emigrate, thinking they were on their way to New York. Then their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-mahoney/a-lot-of-polish-and-russian-jews-had-this-experience-they-would/) [Rosemary Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-mahoney/) > [I don't even see it as disputable that any other culture is in the same league as the West - that's why everyone wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-don-t-even-see-it-as-disputable-that-any-other-culture-is-in-the/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [I think that when you emigrate, when everything you took for granted disappears, it's a kind of loss of innocence. When you're a kid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-think-that-when-you-emigrate-when-everything-you-took-for-granted/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) ## More by Isabel Allende > [“I am happier when I love than when I am loved. I adore my husband, my son, and my grandchildren, my mother, my dog,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-am-happier-when-i-love-than-when-i-am-loved-i-adore-my-husband-my/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Having a point to start is important. You know that when you decide to write something it's like a commitment. It's like falling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/having-a-point-to-start-is-important-you-know-that-when-you-decide-to/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Music is a wind that blows away the years, memories, and fear, that crouching animal I carry inside me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/music-is-a-wind-that-blows-away-the-years-memories-and-fear-that/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Everybody has losses - it's unavoidable in life. Sharing our pain is very healing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/everybody-has-losses-it-s-unavoidable-in-life-sharing-our-pain-is/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“The writer and the dreamer have so much in common: They can't control the plot, they are always part of the story or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/the-writer-and-the-dreamer-have-so-much-in-common-they-can-t-control/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [People think that they will sit down and produce the great American novel in one sitting. It doesn't work that way. 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So she says: 'No, no, no. You have to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/in-2011-i-announced-that-i-was-going-to-retire-and-my-agent-panicked/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I have lived with passion and in a hurry, trying to accomplish too many things. I never had time to think about my beliefs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-have-lived-with-passion-and-in-a-hurry-trying-to-accomplish-too/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I'm surrounded by the scene of aging. I myself am in my 70s and not getting any younger. Although I'm very healthy, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-m-surrounded-by-the-scene-of-aging-i-myself-am-in-my-70s-and-not/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I try to write the kind of books I like to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-try-to-write-the-kind-of-books-i-like-to-read/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“Intimacy needs time to mature—a shared history, tears shed, obstacles overcome, photographs in an album. It’s a slow-growing plant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/intimacy-needs-time-to-mature-a-shared-history-tears-shed-obstacles/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [ The idea of the book \["The Japanese Lover"\] came in a conversation that I had with a friend walking in the streets of New… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/the-idea-of-the-book-the-japanese-lover-came-in-a-conversation-that-i/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) [Explore all 552 Isabel Allende quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) ## More Care quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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