Is The American Dream Still Deferred Essay

510 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: American dream and immigrants

The American Dream: Still Deferred Every time I am in the car with my parents and there is a cop car near us, I get very nervous. My hands get sweaty, my heart starts beating fast, and I feel like I am out of breath. The reason I feel like that is because my parents are undocumented. If my parents ever get pulled over by an officer, eventually, one event might lead to another and when I least notice it my parents are being deported. Although some Americans may be living the American dream, for many undocumented people the dream is still deferred because they have limited living standards and they live with the fear of being deported. One reason the American dream is still deferred is because many undocumented people have limited living standards. Most undocumented people have dreams like everyone else. The only difference is that undocumented people limit their dreams. For many undocumented people "honesty, hard work and strong determination” (Freeman, 21) will not make the American dream available to them. Since not all jobs are available to undocumented people, they have jobs with low pay. …show more content…

Some undocumented people have been living in America for years. Others have even had their children born in America. Every time they step out of their homes, they fear losing everything that belongs to them. Throughout the day, they work hard while they hide from the law. They hope to make it back home, safely, to their families. Although, sometimes they do not make it to their homes. Sometimes they make mistakes and end up going to jail for driving without a license, for skipping a stop sign, or for simply being at a place at the wrong time. When someone is being deported, there is a family that is being separated. Living in fear or living devastated is very different from living the American dream. The American dream allows everyone to live happily and

Show More
Related

  • Essay On The American Dream In The 1990's

    975 Words  | 2 Pages

    Because the concept of the American Dream has been around for many years, it is something that is familiar to everyone. It can be agreed that people all have their own opinions and views about it; even decades have their own version of the American Dream. But what about for the 1990’s? What was the American Dream during that era? The American Dream in the 90’s was greatly influenced by three things: the expansion in technology, the thriving economy, and various, pivotal political events; based on those three components, the American Dream can be defined as individual success, such as money, power, fame, and development.

    Read More

  • History of Latino/a Immigration to the U.S.

    1472 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eleanor Roosevelt said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” That statement holds strong for immigrants in America. Equal access to opportunities allows immigrants to achieve the American dream. Their success correlates with America’s success because of the contributions immigrants provide to America. Unfortunately, the current immigration policy in America denies many immigrants the American dream.

    Read More

  • Garibaldi's Migration To America

    384 Words  | 1 Pages

    As a Hispanic in American, I can relate not because I felt it but because my father is an immigrant from Mexico. He left his family behind to find a better job to send back home. He was not only responsible for his family but for his parents and brothers, and sisters. When he was 12 years old, he left his family in the middle of the night to fend for himself. His thought was that he leaving would be one less mouth to feed. Little did he know that his father went after him for almost an year until he found him. My dad was very lucky to meet someone that took him and save his money from working the fields. When he met up with my grandfather, he had enough money for the whole family to move to northern Mexico where there were more jobs.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Immigration And Deportation

    1458 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some of who are being affected has no intellect that they are an illegal alien. The effects of the deportation system are unbelievable; children are left alone while there father and mother are torn from their homes. This is an emotional time for these children, considering they are too young to understand. "I didn’t know what to think. Just the thought of me going to back to a country I no longer known, and I have no real memory of… I just went through the moments (How to stop Deportation)." Deportation has been shown to cause families and someone's self, feelings of shame, and isolation. Immigrants live their lives in the United States with uncertainty, for on any given day they can be ripped out of their homes and sentenced to deportation with no legal representation. Their families will not be able to be reached and that causes insecurities. Living day by day with the unknown is very stressful and can take its toll on self-esteem and self-worth. The deportation system not only affects the families and friends of immigrants it also affects the economy; Because there is so much money spent on ICE and border control along with court and the deportation itself. That money can be used for education, livestock, crops, government assistance programs; The list goes on. “More than 46,000 parents of U.S. citizen children were deported in as little as 6 months in

    Read More

  • I Am Mexican and I Am Pursuing the American Dream

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    “America is a land built by immigrants, a patchwork of different cultures and creeds. But despite many differences, Americans are held together by the promise of a better life” (Forbes, 2007). The American dream can be looked upon as false advertisement to immigrants who have always tried to obtain it. There is really no American dream, it’s just a motivation put out there to help those try to accomplish something that really isn’t there. Immigrants are fooled into coming to a land where there is freedom of speech, religion, economic understanding, and from fear; but does not really have anything else to offer to them. They ...

    Read More

  • Why Is Border Crossing An Essay

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... person what is going to happen with the family, being deported changes not just the life of the person being detained but the lives of the family as well. “The participants shared their thoughts and beliefs regarding the immigrants they work with, and emphasized the devastating consequences of deportation. The most compelling description of thedeportation experience was offered by the Community Leader:“el sueñoAmericano se convierte en una pesadilla” [the American dream becomes a nightmare]. He explained that when a member of the family is deported [“every aspect of life is affected”].”(Lopez, Anna, Boie, Loana p.44). The way that deportation and immigration harms the family is really unfortunate and it is not something that people want to go through because when a member of a family is lost it sends that family into a endless spiral of thoughts, fears and anxiety.

    Read More

  • The American Dream Education Essay

    1282 Words  | 3 Pages

    The term American Dream was initially set by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of American which was written in 1931. In the book, James Truslow Adams (1931) stated that the American Dream was a dream of having a land to stay; each person had a better, richer and more fulfilling life, and those who had the ability or achievement were always full of opportunities. In the video of the American Dream, it assumes that is also a belief that as long as the American do a hard struggle, they will be able to achieve the idea of a successful life. It’s suitable to say in the 21st century in some specific example but not all situation. (Citation) In addition, American Dream existed long before the words created. In the colonial period, the immigrants

    Read More

  • American Dream Essay

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    Everyone grows up with the thought of an American dream in mind . Unfortunately that American dream is only limited to the people who are not of color. Sadly the people of color and the american dream don 't match up to well. I feel that this is because it can’t be easily obtained due to improper education and never being given the opportunity to show what they’re made of. Maybe if we weren 't categorized by our living arrangements, or the amount of our wealth, or better yet being presumed as these incompetent animals who aren’t good for nothing. Then we too would be able to achieve our own american dreams ,but as people of color the chances of that are not likely living in a world that feeds us with this improper mindset.

    Read More

  • Dreamers Should Not Be Deported

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    Innocent or Not? Illegaly immigrated children who were part of the Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals program(DACA) better known as dreamers are facing threats of deportation unjustly. DACA was a program created by Barack Obama in 2012 which delayed deportation for 2 years , had renewals, and allowed dreamers the right to live ,study and work in America,as long as they passed the background check. They also had to have come to the U.S before turning 16,and are younger than 31 when they apply. But 6 years later the government has ended the program, and are now in a debate whether to deport dreamers or not, putting Nearly 800,000 people in a ticking time bomb for deportation. Dreamers do not deserve this treatment and it should not even be considered for them to be deported.

    Read More

  • My Immigration to America Story

    699 Words  | 2 Pages

    When my family and I got in the plane that would take us to the U.S., I was very excited. It was as if I had butterflies in my stomach. I was also nervous because I had heard of people that were turned away when they got to America because the government was not letting as many immigrants into the U.S as they had in the past. Therefore, my whole family was a little anxious. Two things could happen when we arrived at the Washington, D.C., airport. We could either come to the United States to chase after “the American dream”, or we could be turned away which meant that we would have to return to our country of origin.

    Read More

  • DACA Argumentative Essay

    616 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine waking up in a place you have no recollection of, with no home, no family or friends, and a tongue you can’t fathom. With no money, and in a place where labor is scarce and pay isn’t enough to procure a full meal, much less decent shelter. The notion of this situation is unbearable and distraught,but for 700,000 immigrant teenagers and young adults currently living in the United States of America this scenario could become a reality. This group of the young American populous, known as Dreamers, are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals(DACA) program. DACA’s main goal is to grant legal status for all the people that were brought into the United States as children by their parents; these subjects had no choice in their actions, therefore President Obama saw fit to create a program that will aid them and allow them to work legally. However, the current president of the country, Donald Trump, rescinded this program on September 5, 2017, giving them until the expiration date of their work permit to have legal status in the country, and that could be as soon as March 6, 2018. Once the permit is expired, the subject is viable for deportation, having shared with the government trustworthy information about their illegal entry into the

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: The Stereotypes Of Hispanic Immigrants

    2596 Words  | 6 Pages

    If I were to ask you “what would you do for your family?” what would be your response? Most of the time I would expect people to answer that question with “anything” and I would agree. From a young age, I was unintentionally taught to fear deportation. The reason I say it was “unintentional” is because although I knew I was born in the U.S I had family who was not, and their fear of deportation seemed to rub off on me, especially after hearing horrible stories related to it, so I engraved a longing fear into my mind. Aside from this fear came a desire to help struggling immigrants, even if it is by simply spreading awareness of the struggle that Hispanic immigrants endure. I am part of a UWM organization called LSU (Latino Student Union) and

    Read More

  • The Dehumanization Of The American Dream

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most people claim to understand the importance of goal setting in order to attain a better life, in fact, most people are afraid to fail, or even worse, afraid that they might actually succeed. Social degradation and dehumanization of immigrants within society complicate what it means to be free when confronting social injustice. While some believe that the American Dream will help them strive towards a successful life, others will have to face the harsh reality and need to accept their corrupted and unreached dreams. Many authors in Units 1 and 2 have shown the other side of “American Dream” -- it’s no longer about pursuing the opportunity, but learning how to earn the right to see it and seize it with determination, and if one does not

    Read More

  • Immigrate To America

    2327 Words  | 5 Pages

    Everyone has hopes and dreams for a better future. We all want to live a happy life, where we are surrounded by our loved ones and can work to make our dreams a reality. This is why the idea of the American Dream appeals to so many people — it sparks a sense of hope and a new beginning for those who have nothing left to lose anymore in their own country. People from all over the world leave their native country to immigrate to the United States. Anything from personal to economic to political reasons drive people to leave their native country and immigrate to the United States. Immigration is and will continue to be a big part of the United States history, since it is what has made the US diverse; however, the sudden increase in unaccompanied

    Read More

  • The American Dream Today

    1960 Words  | 4 Pages

    What is the American Dream, and who are the people most likely to pursue its often elusive fulfillment? Indeed, the American Dream has come to represent the attainment of myriad of goals that are specific to each individual. While one person might consider a purchased home with a white picket fence her version of the American Dream, another might regard it as the financial ability to operate his own business. Clearly, there is no cut and dried definition of the American Dream as long as any two people hold a different meaning. What it does universally represent, however, it the opportunity for people to seek out their individual and collective desires under a political umbrella of democracy.

    Read More

More about Is The American Dream Still Deferred Essay

Open Document