Reborn in America: Starting as a California Resident

"By the way, Mom, I heard you've agreed to participate in an international art exhibition?"

The ball ended so late last night that when Henry woke up, his mother Gloria was nowhere to be seen.

Only now did he have the opportunity to raise the questions that had been building up in his mind.

When Gloria heard her son's question, she first showed a surprised expression, and then fell into a brief state of thought.

"Yes, I have already agreed."

I'll go with Ann, and our family's art collection will also be on display.

"Will Aunt be going too?"

Henry asked in surprise, "Hasn't she been doing archaeological work in Egypt?"

Ann Getty, Gordon's wife.

He is an outstanding graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, with a double degree in biology and anthropology.

Her background is ordinary and simple; she grew up in a farming family where her parents worked hard to run a dairy farm and a peach farm.

The turning point that changed her life came when she was 23 years old, when she met Gordon in a bar.

The two fell in love at first sight, and their relationship quickly blossomed. That same year, they decided to elope to Las Vegas and get married on Christmas Eve.

Even after marrying into a wealthy family, she did not choose to lie down and enjoy life.

Instead, he became even more focused on pursuing his academic dreams.

Over the years, she has worked as a paleoanthropologist in Ethiopia and traveled extensively in Türkiye, Spain, and other countries.

That's why Henry was surprised when he learned that Ann would be attending the international art exhibition.

"This is not a simple exhibition; it is actually an important gathering within the Ansar aristocratic circle, where the matriarchs of major conglomerates will attend with their descendants."

As the current matriarch of the Getty family, Anne naturally couldn't be absent.

As Gloria spoke, she gestured for her bodyguards to leave, leaving the mother and her two children alone in the backyard.

"I was invited because I received an invitation from Rachel Lambert Mellon, the matriarch of the Mellon family."

"A gathering of Onsa nobles?"

"What about Jewish families?"

Are they able to participate?

Of course not!

Henry, we are not like the Awful.

Gloria shook her head slightly, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes.

"While our circle welcomes new members, we place even greater emphasis on maintaining our unique cultural and historical traditions."

The Jewish community has its own gatherings and customs, which are not the same as ours.

Excluding the oil, wasn't that just a typical gathering of American WASP (Anglo-Saxon Protestant, also known as the Wasp Group) elites?

Such a high-end occasion piqued his interest like never before!

A ripple began to stir deep within Henry's heart.

"Henry, don't underestimate this gathering!"

Seeing Henry's stunned expression, Gloria assumed he hadn't fully grasped the importance of the event, so she began to explain in detail the true power structure of the American upper class: "In reality, there is an invisible but difficult-to-cross boundary between the upper classes of America."

Besides the oil tycoons that control the Federal Reserve and Wall Street, there is the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) group, which consists of us Anglo-Saxon Protestants. Together, these two groups form the top of the American power pyramid.

The term "Boston Brahmin" refers to families like ours who were among the first to migrate to the New England region of the thirteen eastern states of the United States.

Over the centuries, many prominent families have emerged from among our households, such as the Adams family, which has produced two presidents and one vice president.

The Roosevelt family also contributed two presidents;

Then there's the Kennedy family, whose influence in politics has lasted for decades.

……

Our Getty family is a branch of the Samuel Gates family, belonging to a traditional political elite.

They arrived on this land long before the founding of the United States, settled in Pennsylvania, and participated in the American War of Independence.

Family members not only made significant contributions on the battlefield, but also provided financial support to the Continental Army.

Later, many influential figures emerged from the Gates family, including Horatio Gates, a general in the American Revolutionary War; Samuel Gates, an investor in the American Revolutionary War; and Robert Gates, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, among others.

[In fact, Bill Gates also comes from this large family.]

There are many similar examples to the Getty family in the United States. From the federal government to the state governments, most of the people in power are descendants of the meritorious families who founded the United States more than two hundred years ago.

Many of the super-rich are either direct descendants of these families, joined these families through marriage, or became agents of these families.

For a long time, real power in America has been in the hands of our families.

So-called democratic elections are often just a formality, used to maintain public trust in the government...

Fun fact: Of the 46 presidents of the United States, 24 are relatives.

This was all due to marriage alliances between powerful and aristocratic families.

For example, Carter is Nixon's cousin, Nixon is Taft's grand-nephew, and Taft is also related to the Adams family.

Carter, Truman, and Johnson were all related to Obama;

Ford was a relative of Roosevelt, and Lincoln was a relative of Bush Sr.

"Henry, how did you find out about the Western Art Exhibition?"

I don't remember Mom telling you that!

Looking at Gloria's long-winded speech, Anne, who already knew the family's background, quietly asked Henry, clearly curious about the source of his information.

However, Henry was engrossed in listening to Gloria recount the family secrets and did not notice Anne's question.

Seeing this, Anne gently pinched Henry's arm.

"Annie, why did you pinch me?!"

Li felt a sharp pain, turned to look at Anne, and asked with displeasure.

Anne smiled slightly, a hint of slyness in her eyes, "Because you didn't answer my question, Henry."

"Tell me quickly, did you secretly read Mom's letters again?"

At this moment, Gloria noticed their subtle movements, stopped explaining, and asked curiously, "What are you two whispering about?"

Seeing this, Henry immediately seized the opportunity, quickly walked up to Gloria, and held out his arm, which was slightly red from being pinched, to her, putting on a wronged expression: "Mom, look at Anne, she pinched me so hard!"

Gloria glanced at Henry's arm, then at Anne, and said with a hint of reproach, "Anne, you're getting more and more disobedient!"

Why can't we talk things out instead of resorting to violence?

Seeing this, Anne could only laugh awkwardly and explain, "I just wanted to know how Henry knew about the exhibition. He wouldn't answer me, so I..."

Gloria gently waved her hand to interrupt her, "Alright, alright, you two stop fooling around."

Henry, how did you find out about this?

"Recently, Rachel Mellon from the Mellon family transferred to Montivetta School..."