– Olga Mecking describes her upbringing as embodying a modern, multilingual European identity, with a family background steeped in diplomacy and cultural appreciation.
– Despite her positive experiences and academic achievements, Mecking faces prejudices as a Polish citizen living in Western Europe.
– Upon moving to Germany for studies, she encounters skepticism about Poland’s EU membership and negative stereotypes about Eastern Europeans.
– These experiences continue in the Netherlands, where her children face discrimination for speaking Polish, and she’s confronted with notions of Eastern Europeans being inferior or reliant on welfare.
– While she acknowledges the benefits of EU membership, such as freedom of movement, her optimism is dampened by current anti-immigrant sentiments in her host country.
– Mecking reflects on the historical significance of events like the Warsaw uprising but feels alienated by the ongoing cultural divide within Europe, perceiving the European dream as an ideal that remains unattainable for Eastern Europeans.