This song, Who Are These People from Russia? reminds us of our common traits found among we the people, emphasizing our similarities vs. focusing on our differences.
The song finds American counterparts of immigrants born in countries from which their own families originally came, encountering these modern immigrants, who have just made the long journey to America in search of a better life, and wondering about the origins of these newest arrivals to their country from foreign shores. They wonder if they, too, would have made the journey under such difficult circumstances while at the same time realizing that somewhere in their past, their own family had done just that. They made their journey to America, perhaps a hundred or more years before, but the connection between themselves and these newcomers is unmistakable.
Through its engaging melody and heartfelt lyrics, Who Are These People from Russia? reflects on the journey of immigrants from Russia, China, Cuba, and Ireland, as today’s representatives of newcomers in America. It draws parallels between the experiences of families who made their way to this land of milk and honey for countless reasons at different times in history to those who make the long journey to the USA today.
While the Russian Americans reflect on the snowy depths of winter, bread lines and despair that was part of their country, the Chinese Americans ponder the revolution that their parents escaped but rarely discuss. The Cuban Americans who love Miami’s shores but forever miss old Havana’s charms, sing their lament before the Irish Americans’ verse about those who fled their country in droves, escaping a potato famine which caused nearly a third of its population to die from hunger and a quarter of its population to seek refuge in America.
Who Are These People from Russia? reaffirms the resilience and determination of the immigrant while at the same time inviting listeners to reflect upon their own connections to their past and how similar their story is to others around them far and near.