Happiness can be a taco with all the fixings

"After all, if your loved ones are OK, the bills are paid and a couple of monster tacos aren't going to break the bank, how much more do you really need?

I know. The guacamole."

New York City:
I came across this editorial on the recent Princeton study and I thought I'd share it with my readers. It reflects a certain philosophy that a lot of us American-Latinos and Latin Americans understand and live by on a daily basis.

There is a wonderful saying in Spanish that I love to use whenever toasting, usually for no better reason than to acknowledge the happiness one experiences when simply being at a "happy hour" with friends:

¡Al salud, amor y dinero, y el tiempo para disfrutar los todos!
To our health, love and money, and time to enjoy them all.

I think it is worth noting that "to money" here does not mean "a lot of money" or winning the lottery, it simply means, as Ms. Anglin points out, is "just enough money" to live responsibly by and to enjoy life often, which in essence is not much money at all, if you do it right.

Happiness can be a taco with all the fixings
by Maria Anglin
(Originally posted to mysanantonio.com on September 9, 2010)

To all of those people who love to repeat the dicho about how money can't buy happiness, a new study has come along saying "Fijate que si."

Well, sort of.

On Tuesday, the Houston Chronicle reported on a study that found people's emotional well being, or happiness, increases with their income up until they hit $75,000 a year. After that, the researchers reported, the level of happiness stays about the same.

People making less than that, a Princeton economist told the Chronicle, face too much “stuff” that interferes with their day-to-day happiness. Presumably, the economist was talking about facing cost of living expenses and decisions that could lead to more bills, although he might also have been talking about all the “stuff” que compra el vecino with really bad credit. It's hard not to be a little envidioso of El You-Only-Live-Once and his new iPad, his week-long trip to Curacao and the new and loaded hemi, unless you're with him on Saturday morning when he's frantically figuring out which bill to pay and which one to leave in the shoebox hasta que caiga el proximo paycheck.

But for those who count their coins responsibly, it makes perfect sense that a little more scratch makes life easier. Anybody who has ever had to make the difficult choice between the beef fajita monster taco con guacamole y un taco flaco de picadillo con papas knows that this is true. For those who don't understand the happiness a good taco can bring, here's another example — a full tank of gas vs. as much gas as you can afford with the few bucks left over after the trip to the Dollar Only, plus the quarters that were hiding under the napkins in the car's console. It's safe to bet the study's findings also have something to do with the happy people surveyed also having a good memory; nickeleando is a tough lesson and one not easily forgotten.

Those who quote the song “Pobrecito mi patron, cree que el pobre soy yo,” are likely hovering around that $75,000 mark, which is probably lower in places like San Antonio that are blessed with a lower cost of living than other big cities. While money can buy us a lot of freedom and peace of mind, it can also attract big problems along with all manner of sinverguenzas, ratas and pediches — which is why those who know this actively avoid buying lottery tickets with huge jackpots.

After all, if your loved ones are OK, the bills are paid and a couple of monster tacos aren't going to break the bank, how much more do you really need?

I know. The guacamole.

—mariaanglin@yahoo.com

NO MONEY, NO PROBLEM

Immigrants in the Big Apple take economic crisis in stride
Thursday, February 12, 2009:
(Source: AMNY)

By Sheila Anne Feeney

Not everyone is fretting about their lost investments, bemoaning the imminent or actual loss of their job and despairing about their foreclosed future.

Many visitors or U.S. citizens from other countries, while not in denial about the severity of the economic crisis, continue to enjoy time with loved ones, appreciate the arts, music and culture, pursue their hobbies and, yes, dance.

Most Spaniards, for example, “don’t go to therapists or cry,” during times of adversity, says Guzman Libran Aleman, 26, a Madrileño who is living in Washington Heights while learning English.

Spain’s 14 percent unemployment rate is nearly double that of the U.S., he notes, but Spaniards still go out dancing in (no cover) discos, converge at cafes and savor life’s pleasures. “You don’t need money to enjoy your free time, your friends and your family,” he says.

These New Yorkers who hail from other countries often are more resilient to financial crises than American-born denizens, observes Michael A. Cohen, director of the graduate program of international affairs at The New School.

Europe and Latin American immigrants “have much more of a social safety net,” Cohen explains. Thanks to socialized health care, the norm in most developed countries, you will never lose your home or go bankrupt “as a result of getting sick,” he notes. It’s true that in countries where health care is guaranteed, mortgages are rare (most people pay cash for their homes), education is free or inexpensive and investments are far more regulated, people have less cause for anxiety.

But even immigrants from impoverished countries often see their struggles here in a positive light: Any adversity encountered in the U.S. pales in comparison to greater suffering at home.

“Americans are blessed so much, but they don’t see it,” says Rezie Asprah, 34, who was trained as a dentist in the Philippines, but works as a dental assistant in Queens and as a film extra on her days off.

There is always a way for industrious, entrepreneurial people to turn a dollar, adds the debt-averse Marina Recalde, 25, an Argentinean filmmaker. “You just can’t sit around and wait for someone to hire you,” says Recalde, who started a documentary film business with her husband and survives on a cluster of part-time gigs.

IMMIGRANTS’ ADVICE TO AMERICANS:

Change your attitude,
“Be grateful for all the little things you have and don’t ask for so much,” says Rezie Asprah, 34, of Astoria, who is originally from the Philippines.

A little global perspective
“There are a lot of people with problems much worse than mine,” reasons Guzman Libran Aleman, 26, a Spaniard living in Washington Heights.

Focus on your goals
Don’t become distracted by the hail of bad news around you, and enjoy the arts, counsels Lucas Garzoli, 23, a Harlem resident and film student from Argentina: “I worry about myself — not the financial situation of the world.”

Take action
“Think about what you can do instead of complaining,” says Marina Recalde, 25, an Argentinean residing in New Jersey. “If you play the drums, offer to give low-cost drum lessons.”