Imagine being born of German-Mexican descent and being raised on the Mexican border, where you are considered different because of your blonde and light-skinned mother. Now, add to that the death of your father while you are still a young child, and your mother moves your family to her native country of Germany, where you are again considered different because of your exotic looks. Your mother goes to work to support the family and is absent for endless hours of the day, leaving you lonely as an orphan and without her vital guidance as you begin coming of age. Finally, your mother moves the family back to the United States where, although touted as the great melting pot, you still feel alienated because you don't speak the language or understand the customs and culture. Do you think you would be Feeling Counterfeit? This is precisely what Heather Proffer has faced all of her life, and in her collection of prose and poetry she shares some of her reflections, personal experiences, and observations during her search for a comfortable identity for herself.

About the Author:

A retired schoolteacher, Heather Proffer presently makes her home in New Mexico with her husband, Carl. Her son, Gerado, lives in San Francisco with her wife, Genise, and her daughter, Monica, lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Chris.
Heather Proffer. 2002. Paperback, 68 pp.