My Dad's Experience

My dad moved from Mexico to the US the summer before he started 1st grade. His family came to the US for a better environment and  the American Dream. After telling me his story, my dad told me that he does believe in the American Dream, because to him he achieved it. To him, the American Dream was going to college, career, marriage, house, and children.

When he first moved to the US, he didn't know any english, so he taught himself as much as he could had went to an english speaking public school. He told me it was hard because he was the student in class who didn't understand everything, he was the one with the darkest skin, and he had a thick accent. He was left alone for the most part but did have trouble with school at first. As time progressed he learned english and became top of his class with an IQ of 140, even though those first years of hardship. My dad met my mom before he graduated high school. He married her his junior year at USC. Right after graduation USC he got a well paying job and he had his first child, my brother, by the age of 28.

Coming from nothing and ending up with a career and a family is why my dad believes in the American Dream.

Redefining the American Dream

According to the National Endowment for Financial Education, the American Dream has been redefined by Americans. Rather than being about the cute house with the white picket fence, most adults in 2011 said that their American Dream is having enough money for retirement. The image below is the percentage of participants who said that the category was the way they defined the American Dream.

10 People Living the American Dream

This is a great article showing the hard work that people put in to pursue their dreams. All though there are many cases where the American Dream did not work for some people, it was successful for some as well. Also, these people are examples of Americans who made their dream come true.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11173382/1/10-people-living-the-american-dream.html

Posted By: Taylor Hinds

Article on "Pursuing the American Dream"

I thought this was a great article talking about the definition of the American Dream and how individuals expect for everything to work out, but no matter how hard they work, the economy or someone can deny them of their dream. It's also great because it not only talks about the past issues with  the pursuit of the American Dream but also the future. This article is an excerpt from a book called Pursuing the American Dream by Cal Jillson.

http://smu.edu/smunews/americandream/excerpt.asp

Posted By: Taylor Hinds

American Dream and Opportunities

The American Dream is an opportunity of freedom and success that results in a better lifestyle. I asked my father if I could interview him for this piece because I know he left Ireland for a reason. My father grew up in Northern Ireland with two brothers and one sister.  From middle school and on, my father knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to pursue a career in medicine and set goals to achieve them. After he graduated from Queens University at Belfast, he worked for the British National Health Service where he realized he did not want to pursue his original goal of being a family practitioner. Once realizing this, he reevaluated what he wanted to do and how he was going to do it. In Ireland, if he wanted to change his practice, he had to wait several years until someone retired in order to pursue another field of your desire. He soon realized that the United States would be the place where he could successfully go into the field he wanted, as quickly as he could. In the U.S., you can retrain in the field you want and go into your private practice much quicker than in Ireland. 

            Opportunities in the workforce was not the only reason my father decided to immigrate to the United States. At this time in Northern Ireland, it was the height of “The Troubles.” This was a time when the IRA, terrorist group wanting to unite Ireland, and the British government were fighting over Northern Ireland independence. Southern Ireland at this time was independent, so the IRA wanted to unite Ireland as a whole by bombing Belfast, assassinating policemen and Catholics. Alongside this, the UVF, Ulster Volunteer Force, were fighting the IRA because they did not want independence. The British government, in the meantime, were fighting both of these organizations for complete control. Realizing the struggles he faced as a Catholic, he did not want to raise a family around this environment.

Reflecting on all of the reasons why the United States would be the best option, he told his family the news. With complete support, my father traveled thousands of miles to Phoenix, Arizona to work at the Internal Medicine Residency. He worked there for three years where he met his wife. Here, my dad studied Gastroenterology and took the next step of his career in Pittsburg at the University of Pittsburg for two years. Soon after, my father was able to join a private practice in Seattle, Washington where he lived and will live for the rest of his life. When asking my father, “why Seattle?” His response was, “reminded me of home.” One of the last questions I asked my father was, “Was it hard leaving your family behind knowing how close you were to them?”He responded, “ You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your father was.” Words from a true Irishman. My father never stopped until he reached his goal in life.

Written By: Taylor Hinds

The American Dream of non-Immigrants

After having talked to Mayra, a girl who emigrated to America from Mexico, I decided to talk to some of my friends who were born in America about the American Dream. Two of them identify as male, one as female, all three are white and they all identify as middle or upper-middle class. 

Evan

How would you define the American dream?

Being able to live comfortably. Doing a job that you love.

Is the American dream attainable?

Yes but not for everyone. The way that our country is structured I don’t think it’s very attainable for fresh, new immigrants into America. Because they’re making minimum wage or below minimum wage and people who work for minimum wage are not able to live comfortably, they have to work like four or five jobs.

Do you think it’s easier to attain the American dream if you were born in America?

Yes. And it’s also easier to attain the American dream if your parents were born in America.

What economic class would you identify yourself as?

Middle class.

Conner

How would you define the American Dream?

Oh God. Umm. The pursuit of happiness.

Is the American Dream attainable?

Yes. But with difficulty.

Do you think the American dream is more attainable if you were born in America?

Yes. Very much so. You are given citizenship by being born here. You naturally are able to pursue the American dream because you are inherently American whereas individuals born in other countries have to work very hard to become American.

Are you living the American Dream?

I believe so. Because I am pursuing happiness. I don’t know what that means but I am pursuing it. I am trying to be the most happy I can be in this life.

Do you equate money with happiness?

I equate basic living standards, having enough money for basic living standards as a source of happiness. Beyond that I don’t think much will make me happier than what I have today.

What economic class would you define yourself as?

Upper middle class.

Kari

What does the American Dream mean to you?

Not being told what to do. Not being told how to spend my money. Being able to walk outside and feel safe. Being able to travel within my country without having to give reasons for going there.

Do you think the American Dream is attainable?

I think it is, yeah.

In what ways do you think would make it unattainable?

Not getting thrown in jail, being put on parole, being a sex offender. Don’t screw up your life by doing something stupid.

Is any of it based on things you don’t choose?

I think you choose stuff for a reason so if you choose A over B your American Dream will just be with choice A rather than choice B. Based on your decisions, your American dream will be different. You will have to accommodate.

Are you living the American Dream?

Yeah I think so. I think I would be living it through my parents because I’m not completely independent, but I think to an extent yet.

What economic class would you identify yourself?

Probably upper middle class.

I thought I would get a different view on the American Dream from people who were born in America than from people who weren't. But I have noticed than most people in my generation believe the American Dream is attainable, though they all acknowledge that it is much easier for people born in America and people have a steady, comfortable income. 

I think this is what many Americans think about Mexicans coming accross the border

I throught this cartoon about education was funny as it resembles how we create our lives around education. It proves how important education is in America.

Personal Immigration Story

Roaming the hay fields of Irelands, I was free as could be. I was living the simple life; go to school in the morning and help on the farm straight after until the sun was down. College was not an option, each child was expected to marry and work in our little home town or work on our family farm. The idea of America was foreign to me as it was a whole different lifestyle. From my understanding, people had small jobs but mainly focused on school. One Saturday afternoon, my parents sat me down and told me that we were moving to California. Most of my extended family lived in California and my parents found it a good idea to be closer to them. My first question was if I could bring my new puppy, Luckey. Once they said yes i was on my feet and running around the house through excitement. Little did I know, my future and destiny just changed. Time moved faster than I thought it ever would; my house sold to a young family, our house was nearly empty and I was saying my goodbyes. On the long journey to California, I did not know what to expect. I knew I wanted to go to Disneyland and meet my extended family but America is a big place, who knew where I was going to end up. Five years later I was in southern california, in college, trying to attain a career a never would have heard about in Ireland. Life is different now; I am playing water polo in the sun, I live far from my family, and there is no hay fields to be seen. The american dream is real as it creates opportunites endlessly and daily.

Fighting For the American Dream

I found this article interesting because of the way it gives the perspective of an immigrant who now lives the American Dream. She talks about how the American Dream needs to be for all people. In this article she is directly talking about the illegal immigrants in the united states.

http://www.seiu.org/2014/01/fighting-for-the-american-dream-an-immigration-sto.php

11:05 AM Eastern - Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Fighting for the American Dream: An Immigration Story

BY JUMOKE BALOGUN

Pictured: Rosa Lopez, janitor and SEIU-USSW member

Rosa Lopez wants better for her family. She wants them to travel freely, go to college, get married, buy a home and live the American Dream she is now enjoying.

Born in Oaxaca, Mexico, Lopez became an American citizen in 2008, and after decades of hard work she recently bought her first home. A single mother who works seven days a week as a janitor cleaning office buildings, she has worked tirelessly to ensure greater opportunities for her two children who are now in college.

As she reaps the reward of her hard work, she knows that 12 million undocumented immigrants are denied the same reward.

"I see my nieces and nephews who have been separated from their parents for 30 years," Lopez said. "Despite their hard work, they are still not able to achieve a better life because our immigration system is broken."

Although hers is an immigration story that exemplifies the best our country has to offer, she has witnessed the heartache of friends and families who live in the shadow. She worries about her friend Maria, an undocumented worker who has a handicapped daughter. She wonders, if Maria gets deported, who would take care of the little girl? She aches for her cousins who could not attend the funeral of their parents in Mexico because they knew they couldn't come back to the only home they've known for 25 years.

Tonight, Rosa will share these stories with elected official and sit in the House gallery to hear President Obama's State of the Union address representing how millions of hardworking immigrants contribute to our economy and enrich the fabric of our society.

She fights for commonsense immigration reform because she believes it is a critical step toward helping other immigrants, including some her own family members, to secure a better life for themselves.

She has vowed to do everything she can--contacting lawmakers, registering voters and taking to the streets--to help make immigration reform a reality.

For Lopez, being able to advocate for a just society is part of what makes America great. An active leader with SEIU United Service Workers West, Lopez also helps her co-workers and janitors throughout California to stand up for better jobs. Advocacy is the least she can do for a country that has given her so much.

"I love the United States and all the opportunities it holds," said Lopez. "I am proud to be living my dream of owning a home and putting both of my kids in college but it breaks my heart to see so many immigrant families continuing to wilt in the shadows when they could be blossoming like I did."

Political Cartoons

Here are some political cartoons that I thought represented some of today's views on the American Dream:

The American View

This diagram represents the American views on The American Dream. It is through this that we can see how and if Americans believe in the American Dream. It shows another view aside from foreigners. 

Source: http://www.learnvest.com/2013/10/the-american-dream-in-2013-what-does-it-mean-to-achieve-it/

La Santa Cecilia Goes Back to Mexico, with their DREAMer

The Mexican band, La Santa Cecilia, has been together for seven years. Their name comes from the Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. In 2014, they won a Grammy for Best Latin Alternative Album. One of their band members, Jose "Pepe" Carlos, is an undocumented immigrant. He came to the United States from Mexico when he was a child, and received deferment from deportation under the DACA (Deffered Action for Childhood Arrivals) Program, which protects immigrants who came to the country as children. The band feels that they are somewhat of a voice for undocumented immigrants. Upon receiving their award, the band's lead singer, Marisol Hernandez, said, “We dedicate this award to the more than 11 million undocumented people that live and work really hard in this country, and that still need to live a more dignified life in this country!"


La Santa Cecilia after their Grammy win.

Pepe has not been back to Mexico in 26 years. But for the first time since his band has been together, he will be able to travel back to Mexico with them to perform at the 15th Vive Latino Music Festival in Mexico City. La Santa Cecilia will be playing alongside bands from America such as Diplo and Nine Inch Nails, as well as bands from all across Latin America. 


Jose "Pepe" Carlos

Pepe said that winning their Grammy proved to the country how immigrants contribute. He said that immigration reform would mean a lot to him, his band, and his family. Other members of the band, including the lead singer, have parents who were undocumented immigrants. The DREAM Act was first introduced in 2001, and has been reintroduced in congress multiple times since, though it has not yet been passed into law. The bill would provide permanent, legal citizenship to immigrants who fit the criteria (the criteria being good moral character, residency of at least 5 years prior to the law's enactment, graduation from a United States' high school, and they must have moved to the United States as minors.) La Santa Cecilia also performed the title song for the new movie Cesar Chavez, directed by Diego Luna.








Sources: http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/dreamer-who-won-a-grammy-receives-immigration-permission-to
http://www.buzzfeed.com/adriancarrasquillo/a-dreamer-won-a-grammy-last-night
http://dreamact.info/

3/26/14

Not completely relevant, but it has to do with immigration and I thought it was funny.

-Dylan Siegler

Transition

The American dream means something different to everyone. To some, it is the justification of a bright future, to others it means hard work is ahead, and to even more it is unattainable. Mayra is a sophomore at the University of Redlands. She has been my community assistant and my close friend since the beginning of the 2013-2014 school years. I talked with her about her view on the American dream. Mayra emigrated from Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico in 2003 when she was nine years old to El Paso Texas. Her parents wanted her older sister to be able to take IB classes in an American high school. Mayra was going to a private, Christian elementary school. The principal expressed her concerns that Mayra, who at the time was not able to speak English, would not do well enough in a private school, and that her parents should send her to a public school. Mayra’s father, Arturo, refused to change his plans for his daughter. Mayra went to the private school. She said the transition to a new, English-speaking, American environment was very difficult. Her fellow students did not understand that Mayra was trying to learn English as her second language.  Although Mayra was a quick learner, she was able to read, write and speak English fluently within six months, she said that the other students laughed at her when she mispronounced words or used them incorrectly. They avoided her at recess and gave her the silent treatment for weeks at a time. They even started jokes about Mayra, saying that she stole from stores. Like a lot of bullied kids, Mayra spent time on the Internet, playing games and joining chat rooms. She said it helped her learn English and American culture.

As time went on, school became easier for Mayra and she gained lifelong friends and a community she still visits every year in El Paso. I asked Mayra what the American dream meant to her. “The American Dream would be the belief that in the United States you can achieve anything as long as you work hard and give it your best to achieve it.” Mayra worked hard to overcome language barriers, authority figures who did not believe in her because of her background, and insensitive classmates who ridiculed her. I then asked her if she believed the American dream was still attainable, whether it was still alive. She said, “…I do believe it is attainable, because looking back at where I used to be and where I am now, I am definitely doing better than I would have had I stayed in Mexico.”

3/21/14

Here's an article with a bunch of immigrant statistics as of a few years ago.
http://www.cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population

I think some of the most interesting ones are:

• While immigrants tend to be concentrated in certain jobs, natives comprise the majority of workers in virtually every occupational category. For example, natives comprise 52 percent of maids, 73 percent of janitors, 66 percent of construction laborers, and 65 percent of butchers and meat processors.
• In 2010, 23 percent of immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) lived in poverty, compared to 13.5 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their children accounted for one-fourth of all persons in poverty. 
• In 2010, 13 percent of immigrant households were overcrowded, compared to 2 percent of native households. 
• Of adult immigrants (25 to 65), 28 percent have not completed high school, compared to 7 percent of natives. 
• The large share of immigrants with relatively little education is one of the primary reasons for their lower socioeconomic status, not their legal status or an unwillingness to work. 
• The poverty rate of adult immigrants who have lived in the United States for 20 years is 50 percent higher than that of adult natives. 

"Natives" here meaning anyone born and raised in the United States and whose parents were born and raised in the United States, so not actual Native Americans. I'm sure this goes without saying, but it's still worth pointing out in a discussion about immigration.

-Dylan Siegler