J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur once said that America is the place where individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men. At the time, millions of people immigrated to America in search of opportunity. Ultimately, they created the American Dream and the image of the average American. To be an American means to have a positive outlook of the future, the will to succeed, and the ability to live freely. Immigrants of the past held this characteristic and it is still carried on to the Americans of today. Many people have different experiences in America, yet they all seek success through positivity. Americans tend to associate success with perseverance and positivity. Anzia Yezierska’s short story, “America and I,” discusses some …show more content…
Because of her ethnicity, Kesaya E. Noda ran into trouble with striving for success. In Noda’s essay, “Growing Up Asian in America,” she discusses some of the ways in which her ethnicity stopped her from having the mindset of an American. Noda was judged harshly throughout her childhood; she would be referred to as “Lotus Blossom” because of her Japanese background. The article reads, “Sometimes when I was growing up, my identity seemed to hurtle toward me and paste itself right to my face.” (Noda, 1). Because of that experience, Noda wasn’t able to strive for success as she believed that her future would simply be a recurrence of the past. She knew that the people around her would never be able to see her as an American. With this in mind, she was stopped from thinking of her success. As Noda starts to recall her family history, she begins to realize that the Japanese have some kind of importance to America. The article reads, “I hadn’t understood that people were literally afraid for their lives then, that their money had been frozen in banks; that there was a five-mile travel limit, that when the early morning curfew came and they were inside their houses, some of them watched helplessly as people they knew went into their barns to steal their belongings.” (Noda, 17). Noda starts to understand that the Japanese went through so much trouble during the war, causing racial tension between the …show more content…
J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur’s fictional, “Letters from an American Farmer,” expresses some of the ways in which multiple groups of people are able to live freely as Americans. He believes that through living a poor life, people can immigrate to America to prosper. The article reads, “Urged by a variety of motives, here they came. Every thing that has tended to regenerate them; new laws, a new mode of living, a new social system.” (de Crèvecoeur, 1). De Crèvecoeur believes that if anyone immigrates to America in a poor state, they would be exposed to many opportunities. Eventually, they will obtain a better lifestyle. According to de Crèvecoeur, “individuals of all nations” can also qualify as Americans through multiple decisions. The article reads, “...(these) Americans are the western pilgrims, who are carrying along with them the great mass of arts, sciences, vigour, and industry which began long since in the East; they will finish the great circle.” (de Crèvecoeur, 3). This quote explains how Americans have the freedom of choice to choose which pathway they would want to pursue. De Crèvecoeur’s classifications of an American shows that Americans are the kind of people that are willing to do anything if they are given the opportunity to do
The article by Min Zhou titled "Are Asian Americans becoming "white"? was relatively interesting as it provides a look at a different perspective of Asian Americans regarding immigration. I found it particularly interesting to learn that Asian Americans are considered to be white in equal opportunity programs; however, the race is still seen as different from Americans of European ancestry. Furthermore, I was not shocked to read that Zhou described the Asian American race as the "model minority." When first looking at the reading, I was shocked by the title because I thought it was a little exaggerated. I believe the author could have chosen a more suitable phrase rather than "Asian Americans are becoming white"; however, it does provide significant
Despite their being of the same culture, Asian American, the authors of the two texts have contrasting viewpoints. Elizabeth Wong, author of "The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl", looks upon Asian culture with eyes full of contempt and sees America culture as far superior. However, The author of "Notes for a Poem on Being Asian American", Dwight Okita, recognizes how the two cultures blend together, going hand-in-hand with one another. Wong's perception of her Asian culture as shameful is evident throughout the text. She wrote that her mother "forcibly" sent her and her brother to Chinese school (Wong 1).
In this article, Eric Liu presents his life as a native immigrant to an Asian American individual. He shares his experience through his reflection of ideas and emotions. Along with his story, it relates to the ideas of people’s journey from adolescence to adulthood. Eric’s inspirational experience is directed towards minority groups who try to adapt to the American culture and lifestyle. His parents emigrated from China to America, before he was born which he later became exposed to the freedom and diverse society. This results in beneficial effects for his individuality, career opportunities, and lifestyle. Although his parents have lived in a different culture than him, his life in America has made him assimilated into the American society
Chinks, bad drivers, math and science nerds, F.O.Bs and ect. There are so many stereotypes and misconception for one specific ethnic group: Asian. But perhaps the most popular image of Asian Americans presented in society is being the “model minority.” If you were to ask any random person to pick a specific minority group that was more academically, economically and socially successful compared to the others, chances are 90% of them would answer: Asians. “Asians makes more money than any other race.” “Asians have the highest grades compared to other races, especially in math and science subjects.” But contrary to these popular stereotypes, the misrepresentation of Asian Americans as the model minority are false and simply just a myth. Furthermore, this misleading comparison may actually lead to harmful consequences in Asian American students.
These attitudes and feelings and ideas and goals are all derived from generations ago, from many different cultures that all banded together. It was all the people that moved from every other country to America that made America, America essentially. Each and every culture and religion and peoples made us America today. These different cultures and ideas all came together and formed the American mindset. The idea that everyone has a shot and prosperity and success no matter your class or race or birth. The idea that hard work can accomplish anything. Everyone has the same equal rights, and same equal chances to do great things. A person just has to put the sweat and tears into it. This 'American dream ' so to say, is rooted deeply in our Declaration of Independence, "that all men are created equal" and are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights that included Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." This mindset that everyone has the right to their own rights, and they can succeed and prosper no matter their race or class, is what makes an American. To make dreams and goals and go out and achieve them with hard work is what makes an American. This is an American
The United States of America is the place of opportunity and fortune. “Many immigrants hoped to achieve this in the United States and similar to other immigrants many people from the Asian Pacific region hoped to make their fortune. They planned to either return to their homelands or build a home in their new country (Spring, 2013).” For this reason, life became very complicated for these people. They faced many challenges in this new country, such as: classifying them in terms of race and ethnicity, denying them the right to become naturalized citizens, and rejecting them the right of equal educational opportunities within the school systems. “This combination of racism and economic exploitation resulted in the educational policies to deny Asians schooling or provide them with segregated schooling (Spring, 2013).”This was not the country of opportunity and fortune as many believed. It was the country of struggle and hardship. Similarly, like many other immigrants, Asian Americans had the determination to overcome these obstacles that they faced to prove that the United States was indeed their home too.
When most people think about immigration to the United States, they think of the U.S. as being the “land of opportunity,” where they will be able to make all of their dreams come true. For some people, immigration made their lives richer and more fulfilled. This however, was not always the case. A place that is supposed to be a “Golden Land” (Marcus 116) did not always welcome people with open arms. Even after people became legal citizens of the United States, often times the natural born Americans did not treat the immigrants as equals but rather as outsiders who were beneath them in some way. In some situations, people’s lives were made worse by coming to the “land of opportunity.” Often times people were living no better than they were in their own countries not able to make ends meet, just to live in the United States. Virtually all immigrants during the 1900’s had the same dream, to become successful and provide for their families as citizens of the United States, but they soon found out that the life in their new country was not going to be easy.
In the story, the mother’s belief in this sentiment gave her hope for her daughter to become a prodigy. Therefore, the weight of the dream is left on the first-generation. The belief of endless possibilities is set upon first-generation Americans and Americans alike. From the beginning of the story, the daughter states that “America was where all my mother’s hopes lay” (491). The mother has the be...
For 20 years, Asian Americans have been portrayed by the press and the media as a successful minority. Asian Americans are believed to benefit from astounding achievements in education, rising occupational statuses, increasing income, and are problem-fee in mental health and crime. The idea of Asian Americans as a model minority has become the central theme in media portrayal of Asian Americans since the middle 1960s. The term model minority is given to a minority group that exhibits middle class characteristics, and attains some measure of success on its own without special programs or welfare. Asian Americans are seen as a model minority because even though they have faced prejudice and discrimination by other racial groups, they have succeeded socially, economically, and educationally without resorting to political or violent disagreements with the majority race. The “success” of the minority is offered as proof that the American dream of equal opportunity is capable to those who conform and who are willing to work hard. Therefore, the term ...
America has always seen as the symbolic ideal country of prosperity and equality. This is the reason why people come to America hoping to become successful, but in matter of fact we all have an equal plan field to be successful is not entirely true. For there are social boundaries that keep use limited based upon our own status. Whether we are born of a low class or of a high class the possibility of economic mobility in a sense are predetermined by two factors of social class and success together they both affecting one’s another opportunity of success. In order to achieve success, we must know that it is made up of two main concepts and they are fortune and position.
“America is the land of opportunity. If I work hard enough, I can be whatever I want to be. If I truly want something, I can get it. I will work hard and grow up to be whatever it is that makes me happy. The sky is the limit. These statements portray the American dream. Though the American dream seems a little more difficult to attain when the American dreaming is a member of a minority group living in poverty”. This quotation by author, Philip M. Deutsch thoroughly sums up the entirety of my paper. Deutsch starts out by listing several somewhat cliché statements summarizing the classic American’s view of the American dream; the hope of starting with nothing and ending up on top. However, he continues by revealing that the American dream is not as easily made a reality for those from other countries. This paper explores why it is easier for those born in America to attain prosperity in the United States. This paper will discuss the reasons immigrants have a harder time achieving the
The American Dream. This concept is well known as the picture perfect family, nice house and the white picket fence. As well as succeeding and excelling in life and making the future generations lives better than the current one. This concept has contributed much of the immigration from as early as 1931 to present day. However, many immigrants immigrate to the United States in order to escape oppression as well as uprising and turmoil which may reside in their home country. Though society often places people none the less immigrants into categories from social class, heritage, and prejudice they share a common thread of hope as well as facing obstacles in their journeys and once they arrive to the states. An example of this common thread of escaping their homeland in order to pursue new experiences and hopeful new life yet experiencing different hardships are shown when looking at both the Mexicans and the Irish.
Knowing that it would be four years of relentless pestering, I knew that someday I would surpass my tormentors; I would keep under cover of my books and study hard to make my brother proud one day. It would be worth the pain to someday walk into a restaurant and see my former bully come to my table wearing an apron and a nametag and wait on me, complete with a lousy tip. To walk the halls of the hospital I work in, sporting a stethoscope and white coat while walking across the floor that was just cleaned not to long ago by the janitor, who was the same boy that tried to pick a fight with me back in middle school. To me, an Asian in an American school is picking up where my brother left off. It’s a promise to my family that I wouldn’t disappoint nor dishonor our name. It’s a battle that’s gains victory without being fought.
What is an American these ideas are fully expressed from the start as Crevecoeur states, “a modern society offers itself to his contemplation, different from what had hitherto seen.” (605), thus showing that America is a new land never seen before that is worthy of contemplation and admiration. This belief shows the idea of a better place free of old European social divides and stratification and the promise of a better place. Crevecoeur further expands on this going as far as to call America an asylum, a true place of recovery and safety, for European immigrants and their descendants. These early ideas bring forth the foundation for modern beliefs of moral superiority and thus the right for the United States to encourage and push their own ideals upon others. This supremacy is explicitly expressed by the author as seen in, “we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.” (Crevecoeur 606), and displays “James” view that America is indeed better than other cultures and should be treated as such. It is important to note however that the idea of moral superiority does not only come from a utopia of ideas and freedom, but effort, hope, and the ability to push forward in the face of
In “What is an American” by Hector St John de Crevecoeur, the writer described many notable differences that he discovered when he first arrived in America. He marveled at the many differences in structure, diversity, and the overall equality of this new land. Crevecoeur’s early America was much different than the land that he once knew. America gave him a sense of freedom, hope, and possibility. He wrote letters in hope to inspire all who were looking for a change in their lives, and who would be ready to contribute to the advancement of such a great land. America was more united, with every man working for themselves. There were no monarchies with Kings and Lords who contained all wealth while others suffered. Every