There are an abundance of different nuances and differences to what can be collectively called the American identity, but what about the American spirit? The American spirit values the hard working and industrial attitude that constitutes the foundation of the American Dream; so long as you are willing and able to put all your energy and focus into tackling the day’s challenges, then you will be able to claw your way to the top: being able to live a better life than your parents. Teresa embodies these aspects to the letter. Her family consisted poor immigrants who had escaped from the violence of the Balkans (make clear only majority of life was spent here). Even though she lacked a material advantage, she constantly studied to achieve top
The concept of the American Dream connects with each individual different, but most would agree that it is the ability to live the way you desire and the freedom to choose your own route. The American Dream is about the freedom to obtain whatever you wish if you are clever and work hard enough. The reason why people from different countries come to America is to escape an unfair class system, to search for better opportunities for their families, and to live in freedom and security provided by the police and military. The American Dream for jihad radicalists in The Looming Tower is to establish an Islamic state worldwide. On the other hand, the Latino community wants to work hard, provide for their family, and live in peace. Although, both
The land of the free and the home of the brave, America is the dream for people everywhere. A place to make a name for yourself, where the unthinkable is achievable. Immigrants from all over the world travel days, weeks, and months to be greeted by Lady Liberty and create a better life for themselves. In particular, immigrants from Europe save every penny they have to afford the trip to America. They leave their family, friends, and the comfort of their home to explore the unknown and diversity of America. To them. America was the Mount Olympus of the world.
In 2009, the U.S. Census gathered that there were over thirty-three million second-generation immigrants living in America. America is a melting pot, and in this melting pot, it isn’t uncommon for these children, myself included, to lose sight of what our lives could be–and the struggles that our parents faced to ensure that we have more opportunities than they had. As I write this essay, I’m stressing over the things any other American high school sophomore faces– grades, social drama and statuses, and my follower count on Twitter and Instagram. These “problems,” if even that, are minute to what others our age face around the world. Young adults in Sudan are starving, and young adults in Syria live in the middle of a war zone. As far away They raised two kids: my 19-year-old brother, who is currently a freshman at the University of Georgia, and myself. Thanks to their hard work, I’m able to worry about the things I do. Never have I worried about not having food on my plate, about being denied my education, or being forced to leave everything I know and abandon my dreams. It’s easy to forget what my parents have done for me, for the opportunities and doors they have opened for me. There’s no way to understand your life–the privileges you hold–without understanding the past. You must be thankful for all the things your loved ones have done for you, and I’m sure that I am. I can’t imagine my life if I were in my parents’ shoes, if I faced the struggles and hardships they did, and I know I wouldn’t have the courage to be as decisive as they were and are. Their perseverance and determination make me content with my life now, knowing that it could be much worse. Their experiences motivate me to capitalize on what they gave me–to become something. I want to be sure that my parents know I’m thankful and know that I will work hard to become what they didn’t have the opportunity to. 11th Grade Columbus High School Anjali Patel 5th
Many immigrants come into America every day, looking for a better life for themselves and their families. However, americans are afraid of letting those immigrants in. These americans think that the immigrants will take jobs and food from the needy people that are already here. Because of this, Americans want to keep all of the immigrants out of the United States. Once in a blue moon, there is a diamond in the rough that will change america forever. If these people weren’t allowed entry into the country, we would not be where we are today. We would have gotten electricity later, we would not have been able to achieve our goal to reach the moon as soon, and we would have been without the excitement of the horror film. Immigrants have positively
Statistics show that over 11.5 million immigrants migrate to The United States in search of a better life for themselves and their children. Yet, throughout the course of the years, a negative stigma has been associated with the arrival of immigrants in The United States. They have been discriminated against and have been labeled with abasing words. However, the majority of people fail to realize that the individuals who risked their lives coming here, the ones who left their family and friends behind are the most hard-working and persistent people I have come to know because these individuals are my parents. My parents left El Salvador and immigrated to a new country in hopes of a better academic future for me. Sadly, they were not granted
The 1.5 generation is in a unique position because while they are granted such rights as the right to an education, they still face the threat of possible deportation. The DREAM Act is a proposed solution that would provide a path for the 1.5 generation to gain legal residency and eventually full citizenship. Many of these “DREAMers” have been taking risks with their undocumented status to publically rally support for a federal DREAM Act. In contrast, many anti-immigration proponents are pushing for a change to the Fourteenth Amendment to stop the children of immigrants from automatically becoming citizens through birthright citizenship. It is believed that Latinos are immigrating to America and immediately having “anchor babies” in order to more easily gain legal residency. The media has continued to perpetuate this notion and it has led to several proposed reforms in
The “American dream” is a phrase that can have many meanings to different people, but the American Dream is the dream that people in the U.S wishes it comes true. An immigrant, an alien, comes to this country searching for that dream. The American Dream is basically a legend about success, about overcoming obstacles, and is about living that victorious life we all wish to have. Me being an Immigrant I know how important is for someone who comes from a different background, a place with a different language, and a country with a different culture to actually become somebody in this country. We immigrants have to work twice as hard as a regular born-U.S citizen. But we can’t complain about it, because we all do it to be part of those people who have reached the american dream. Everyone has a different a dream, m is to go to Princeton and become a world-selling best author, but I won’t reach my goal unless I worked hard for what I want.
The requirements of becoming a citizen in the United States have changed drastically over the last few centuries. Becoming a US citizen is a lengthy, stressful and expensive process. Parts of the process are based luck, while other parts are based on tests and interviews. Through history, the process of becoming a citizen has gotten harder and harder. Edwidge Danticat’s short story “Caroline’s Wedding”, the processing center at Ellis Island and the historical change of immigration laws show and compare the struggle of becoming a citizen in the United States.
When most people hear the words “illegal immigrant”, they think of bad people coming across the border to the United States and creating problems. Whether it’s from transporting drugs or taking a lot of job positions. What most people don’t think about is that some of those illegal immigrants that come into the United States are coming to have a better life. They want to have a fresh start and work their way up. A lot of those immigrants come to the US at a young age which leads us into the idea of the Dream Act.
During the late 20th century, family conflicts between parents who immigrated into the United States and their children who were born in the United States started to develop. The main reason for the conflict is because of the differing views in culture. The child wants to fit in with his or her society; therefore, they prefer the American culture. However, their parents want to educate their child about their roots; therefore prefers their own culture. The parents will do anything in order to prevent their child from fully assimilating into the American culture, such as taking them to Saturday school to teach them their native language or only feeding their child their native food. This method of isolating their child from the American culture will eventually cause the child to feel as though they are being isolated from
Not much has changed in immigration between Mexico and the United States. Though the manner in which the topic is openly discussed is rather different, the underlying racial discrimination is still constant. While illegal immigration to the U.S. happens from all countries, the media and local law enforcement seem to solely focus on demonizing the latino community. Though the issues are slightly different, the reasoning behind the accusation are the same, skin color.
Countless years ago, my ancestors came from the Germany/Poland border to America in hopes of living a better life in a brave new world. When my parents arrived around the 1860s America had started grow and would not have grown in such fashion without immigrants. Society as we know it today would not be the same today without immigrants, they have shaped our country in ways such as culture, diversity, and economic stimulation.
Get married. Check. Have kids. Check. Get a high paying career. Check. Buy a house. Check = Accomplished. For me and millions of Americans, this list has become a permanent foundation in achieving success with some slight variations. Although the term “American Dream” has continuously evolved and been tailored to each individual since first used in 1931 by James Adams to describe the complex beliefs, religious promises and political and social expectations, buying a home still remains a fundamental part of being deemed successful in the United States.
Immigrants from the mid 19th century and early 20th century consisted of mainly Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. Immigrants motivations, experiences, and impacts shaped what an immigrant had to go through being a different person from another country. Although Americans dislike foreigners who came to the United States, immigrants had a role in political, economic, cultural, and social aspects of immigrants because of their motivations, experiences, and impacts in America. New Immigrants did not have it easy and went through obstacles natives, political figures, bosses and others had thrown at them.