Guest Blogger: Joel Savage, Author of Overseas Chronicle: The Rome and Amsterdam Experience

Overseas Chronicle: The Rome and Amsterdam Experience is another suspenseful, thrilling epic from Joel Savage and inspired by true events. Savage explains how, as an illegal immigrant in Europe (before becoming documented), he survived the hostile harsh conditions and mafia gangs of Rome, Italy, by sleeping at rough places including the central train station and the notorious pantanella, an ex-Pasta factory, which harbored all criminal activities.

He tried and made it to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, only to realize that he had arrived in a country whose hard immigration policies and liberal laws on drugs like marijuana had taken its toll on many illegal immigrants, by turning them into junkies and alcoholics.

Eager to get documents, he made a wrong move that landed him behind bars. One may never know the experience of being an illegal immigrant until reading this comprehensive and vivid account of Joel Savage’s experience in both Rome and Amsterdam. Overseas Chronicle: The Rome and Amsterdam Experience, is a book of pain, anguish and sorrow, written with passion.

Overseas Chronicle: The Rome and Amsterdam Experience 

By Joel Savage

Everyone has objectives, but not everything goes as planned for those who want to achieve something unique in society. I am one of them. I missed part of my education after the sudden death of my father. It occurred to me that if I really wanted to further my education, the only option was to travel to Europe. I wasn’t greedy, thinking that Europe makes one rich overnight, but I had an idea that if I succeeded to integrate legally, I could follow my dreams since they have the best educational facilities and good teachers.

Upon arrival in Europe, I realized that going to a foreign country could be very difficult in regards to financial aspects and visa applications, but nothing was more difficult than gaining legal immigrant status in a foreign country. Like Paul’s missionary journey to Rome, I found myself sleeping in rough places, including the central train station and a deserted food factory. Rome might be a strong Catholic city but they view foreigners, especially blacks, as people from an unknown, strange planet.

At the mission houses amongst other foreigners, we continuously witnessed the abuse of young boys by the priests and the constant stealing of money from our letters that passed through the mission’s office, because we had no resident address. In Rome I went to a school run by the ‘Caritas’ [Charity] under the umbrella of the Vatican City. I could read and write Italian very well but that didn’t help to facilitate my status as a legal immigrant. The continuous degradation, racism, and discrimination forced many immigrants from Africa to leave Rome as illegal immigrants, but I stayed hoping for the best; however the situation never changed.

After working as a house boy to an Italian journalist, I saved enough money and moved to Amsterdam, leaving behind a year-old child and my wife in Africa. Holland is a multi-cultural country and far ahead in development and integration. Unfortunately, the hard immigration policies and liberal laws on soft drugs have encouraged others to do hard drugs, thereby taking drastic effect on many people including illegal immigrants. I saw the disastrous effects of drugs on many, but they turned blind and pretended they didn’t know what was going on because free sales of drugs is a like a catalyst which sustains the tourism industry.

This was something I wanted to avoid, and the only way to prevent falling victim to depression and drugs was to fight for my documents after almost four and half years as an illegal immigrant. One thing I didn’t understand was the drug issue. The Dutch drug force in the past and present had successfully arrested drug couriers in the city and Schiphol, the airport, but the coffee shops sell drugs, including marijuana, to customers without impunity. Who then supplies drugs to the coffee shops? This was a question I never found the answer to.

I never encourage crime or violence. I fear these two acts, and therefore, try my best to live a clean life. But in order to upgrade my status to legal resident, I was involved in a serious crime, leading me behind bars. A Surinamese woman collected money from me with the promise of helping me get my papers. I didn’t know her but I trusted her. According to the police, she was a criminal preying on illegal immigrants. I was thrown behind bars for several days while my passport was with the immigration police. It was likely they were preparing my documents to be deported, as I foresaw my deportation to Africa to be very close.

One day while behind bars, I had no bath and food for the whole day, even though every day the cell was opened for me to wash myself and be served food. The next day when they served me food, I asked them why they had failed to give me food the day before. The officer thought I was joking, but he quickly realized I was speaking the truth. According to him I was a very quiet person, therefore the officers on duty failed to realize that there was someone in the cell. Because of this mistake, they gave back my passport and set me free. Today I am a married Belgium national with three children.

Joel Savage was born at Cape Coast, in the central region of Ghana, on January 19, 1957. He had his secondary school education at both Ebenezer Secondary School and Accra High School in Accra, Ghana. In 1985, whilst living in Sierra Leone, he became a naturalized citizen, therefore losing his nationality as a Ghanaian.

In his life time, he was much influenced by his father, who was a veteran journalist. His father’s influence propelled his flair for writing at a very tender age. At school, he wrote numerous articles for publication. After secondary school, he followed a short course in journalism at the Ghana Institute of Journalism in Accra to acquire more experience and writing skills.

As a freelance writer, Joel wrote feature articles for the Daily Graphic, the Ghanaian Times, and the Weekly Spectator in Accra, Ghana for a certain period. He is now a prolific writer and an accredited card holding member of “Vlaamse Journalisten Vereniging” (Flemish Journalists Association) in Belgium. He lives in Antwerp, Belgium with his wife and three children where he freelances for newspapers, magazines, and television.

Visit the author online at http://www.joelsavage.com/

Meet Author and Political Analyst Earl Hutchinson

Today's distinguished guest is Earl Hutchinson. An author, syndicated columnist, political analyst and commentator, Earl has been a guest on Hannity and Colmes, The O'Reilly Factor, The Big Story, EXTRA, and numerous CNN News and Talk Shows. Earl joins us today to discuss his new book, The Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation Between African-Americans and Hispanics.

Welcome to The Book Connection, Earl. It is a pleasure to have you with us.

Before we talk about your book, can you tell us a bit about your career? You have an impressive list of credits. How did you get started? Have you always been interested in politics?

Thanks for inviting me to share my thoughts on writing and my book with your audience. I wish I could say that I started out wanting to be a career writer/journalist but that isn't the case. I happened to see an ad that a local throwaway newspaper needed a reporter so on a whim I applied. And to my shock I was hired. It took me a while to find my writing legs and figure out just what I was supposed to do as a reporter. But I persevered, and found that I enjoyed the challenge of crafting reports that actually got people thinking about issues. In covering stories and personalities in the 1970s in L.A., I had occasion to rub shoulders with history in my interviews and writings. In one year, I interviewed Bob Marley, Benjamin Spock, Ralph Abernathy, Julian Bond, Dick Gregory, Eldridge Cleaver, Huey Newton, Cesar Chavez, Angela Davis, Gary Hart and countless other luminaries. I was hooked on writing and politics from then on.



Tell us about The Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation Between African-Americans and Hispanics. What is this book about? Why is it important to the world we live in today?

I like to think the book breaks new ground on the little understood turmoil behind blacks and Latinos. It looks at an area of race and ethnic relations that has not been closely examined, namely intra racial and ethnic conflict and tensions. Race problems in America for decades have been framed in black and white. That's no longer the case. It's black versus brown, brown versus black, black and brown versus Asian, and all sorts of other conflict combinations. In the Latino Challenge I assess how illegal immigration, gang and prison violence, competition over jobs, education and health services and funds, political jockeying, and racial stereotypes color black and Latino relations.

One topic we have been hearing in the news for quite some time now is immigration. It is an age-old battle that continues to be waged in modern America. Your book provides a history on how immigration has impacted blacks over the years. How does immigration impact blacks today?

It cuts two ways. Many blacks blame illegal immigration for taking jobs from blacks, running down inner city schools, increasing the deterioration of their neighborhoods, and fueling violent attacks on blacks. Many Latino and immigration rights groups blame blacks for creating a straw man issue out of immigration and say it does none of these things. So there is the seed of conflict.

You mention in Chapter 9 of The Latino Challenge to Black America, that immigration law reform may not have been successful in answering the question of whether or not illegal immigrants take jobs from the young, the unskilled, and often African-American low-income workers. Why is that? Why has Congress been unsuccessful for so long in handling this issue?

Fear and lack of political will explain Congress's failure to craft a meaningful immigration reform law. The debate over whether illegal immigrants hurt black job seekers would be there whether Congress enacted immigration reform or not. It's shrouded in myth, half truths, opinion and passions. That's always a volatile mix.

Where can readers purchase a copy of The Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation Between African-Americans and Hispanics?

At any bookstore, if they don't have it ask them to get it and it's available on Amazon. Visit this website for additional information - http://www.middlepassagepress.com/.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Black and Latino relations will be a touchy, edgy, and pivotal ethnic and race issue problem for years to come. My book tells why.

Thank you Earl for taking the time to speak with us today. I wish you continued success in all your future endeavors.


For more on this and other topics concerning race and politics in America, visit Earl's blog, The Hutchinson Political Report at http://earlofarihutchinson.blogspot.com/