Growing up in Colorado as a German immigrant

Interviewer 2: Would you be comfortable talking about your childhood?

Ruth: Well, we were immigrants. Growing up in Denver was just wonderful. My parents, as I say, were highly educated. They spoke English. They came from a wealthy German family, but lost everything, of course, through the Hitler regime. So they came with nothing. My mother taught at Denver University. She had a PhD. I don't know what I loved growing up; I did a lot of skiing, I was a racer, I had a ranking, and I played a lot of tennis. I've always been very athletic, and it was just a great place to grow up. 

Interviewer 2: Do you think your childhood self would be happy where you are today?

Ruth: Oh, yeah. My parents died relatively young. I think my mother was very, very happy. I think in many ways she was somewhat of a frustrated lawyer herself. I'm sorry they're not here to see my husband and my grandchildren, you know.

Interviewer 2: How do you think your parents influenced your life?

Ruth: Well, they were very grateful to be in America and were very liberal. In their politics, they are very keen on injustice, which often is seen more by someone who looks at it from the outside. As outsiders, they sensed injustices more easily as observers. I think I grew up pretty independently. In some ways, sometimes I will embarrass my parents. They had an accent, you know. 

Interviewer 1: Do you think your perspective on that has changed over the years? 

Ruth: I mean, I have great admiration. It was not easy. Life was dangled like a thread in getting out. It's a long story. Our getting out of Germany was finally resolved by an opinion of the United States Attorney General. I mean, it was a big case, a long story.
 I've written a book about it, so I don't know if my experience as an American is totally typical. I mean, I always thought of myself as an American, you know? It's interesting. I think if people had asked me through most of my life to “tell me about yourself,” I'm not even sure I would have mentioned that I was born in Germany. After I wrote this book and actually came here and got to know people, I realized people are interested in your past. 

I find myself talking more about my past as we get to know each other. Here, people's lives are so fascinating. I mean it's wonderful. I think that's one of the great reasons for this club.