Every year, thousands of immigrants from around the world migrate to the United States. These immigrants enter the U.S. hoping for an opportunity at a better life. Many of these immigrants believe that the United States is the best place to go. The “American Dream” is something that attracts a lot of these immigrants. Immigration is a hot topic in the USA. Although it may be a hot topic, immigration is rarely discussed in politics. Most politicians usually do their best to avoid the idea completely. Politicians and presidential candidates included, rarely make immigration a large part of their campaign. However, immigration being an issue that is very divisive, immigration policies will have a large impact on this country 's future. Immigration …show more content…
Whether your origin is the vast lands of Europe, the mountainous plains of South America or even here right at home in the United States, you come from somewhere. The world is no longer living in isolation. Especially with the large adaption of planes and alternate transportation, people are traveling more often. What happens when someone elongates their stay? What if they decide to settle in their new beloved land? Immigration, a word whose definition varies depending on the person you 're talking to. To some it means a new chance or a new opportunity for life. To a majority of Americans, they believe it’s troublesome and should be abolished completely. America has become so unforgiving to an idea that lives in the roots of almost everyone who inhabits this great land. Robyn Pennacchia, a writer for deathandtaxes magazine wrote, “In a sense, we are all illegal immigrants. We are all here because back in the day, some white people came over and stole this land from those who were originally here. We cannot undo that history. Our penance for having stolen that land is that we really need to shut up about other people coming over here.” Why America? Why did its’ early settlers and new immigrants choose this land? America offered more than just a meager lifestyle, it offered unbelievable opportunities and resourceful land. America also offered structured government that appealed to those who live in exile. Today, America has held its own and still remains the land of opportunity. So what has changed? The ideals are the same, immigrants come here for work and the chance at a new life. The difference is nothing more than the unwelcoming and egotistical minds of protected Americans who have been grandfathered into this country. Times change, but why should morality? The “American Dream” is an attractive slogan that this nation bares and immigrants count the days and hours before they can come here. To give what the American people want to hear,
In America, there are many considerable companies created by immigrants during the height of immigration. During the early 1900s, the American Dream was in full swing and patriotism was found amongst most Americans. During this time, Americans had a sense of vivaciousness when talking about America and the economy. With the roaring 20s and significant economic growth in the 1910s, many non-natives flocked to America in search of a better life. However, as time went on and America’s economy started to adjust, the American Dream and patriotism of indigenous Americans also evolved. Bogged down with the aftermath of the Great Depression in the 1930s, second and third generation Americans fell out of love with America. Immigrants kept hope though,
Other countries see the United States as a land of opportunity and freedom. Because of this, Americans should be honored and willing to share their concept of freedom and equality with others. Instead, immigrants are forced to jump through hoops and struggle with red tape in hopes of experiencing American life. Currently, this hyped preconception is causing the immigration rate to become out of hand. With the illegal immigrate population growing by over 300,000 annually, it has developed into a national controversy. Like pouring sugar into a cup of coffee: some people don’t want any at all, while others think “the more the merrier”. This rift between parties will only be bridged by implementing a new, reformed immigration policy that incorporates the best of both worlds.
The American Dream, the national promise of equal opportunity and the endless possibilities of economic mobility, has and is still deeply inculcated in American culture. However, there is less economic mobility in the United States than originally thought as proven by many studies of economists, and therefore refutes the basic ideas of the American Dream. Class, one of the major causes to the decrease in economic mobility, remains a sensitive subject in America. This sensitivity stems from popular culture ideals of not debating or discussing class as well as the many myths Americans and foreigners are trapped into believing. Variations in the American life-styles, a component of the ideas of class presented by Mantsios, is another factor to the reduction of economic mobility. This variation is mainly a result of the diversity in the United States and its heterogeneous society. Race, a social construct, is also a major source to economic mobility. Through the help of the media, society has shaped Americans into associating success and wealth with Caucasians, and failure and poverty with minorities. Another major cause to the decline in economic mobility is parental influence, the idea of a child following or straying away from their parent or guardian’s footsteps. Education, America’s token to success, also determines an individual’s economic mobility. In American culture, it is believed that by furthering or completing education automatically guarantees individuals endless opportunities to a job, increased income and upward mobility. In conclusion, class, race, parental influence and education are all interrelated factors to economic mobility.
The United States is in the midst of a major debate over immigrants and their place in our economic and political life. As during other times in our history, immigrants, are being blamed for causing or contributing to the social, economic and political ills of our society. Politicians from both major parties, at both the national and state levels, are promoting a range of punitive legislative proposals that single out immigrants for adverse treatment by the government. Many violate basic civil liberties principles.
Many people assume that the America does not provide access to the American dream because it can be difficult to achieve, but just because something is difficult does not make it impossible. Eric Thomas once said “All roads that lead to success have to pass through hard work boulevard at some point.” This shows that throughout life, sometimes you will have to go through a hard part, and work hard. The United States still provides access to the American dream, even though different people have different ways for how they want to live out their American dream.
The "American dream" is different for every person. To some it means financial success, to others it means freedom of expression, while others dream to practice their religion without fear. The "American dream" is a complex concept providing immigrants with the hope of better life. The U.S. government provides the environment and resources for everyone to pursue their dreams. Each year millions of people around the world apply for the Diversity Visa lottery program provided by the U.S. government, however only a few thousand people are lucky enough to come here. America is the place where people are judged by their achievements instead of having references or connections. Even though the American economy is in recession and the achieving of the American Dream is harder, many immigrants still achieve religious, political, financial, and sports dreams here in the U.S.
Immigration policies have been a hot-button issue for many years now, especially regarding emigration from Mexico. Politicians have started up campaigns promising to effectively end illegal immigration, claiming that it is the source of the United States’ unstable economy. However, similar plans have been enacted in a particularly vulnerable period, with little to no success, indicating that repetition would be a huge blow to both the economy and United States citizens.
Illegal immigration has become a controversial topic in politics within the US. Some believe that undocumented immigrants are vital to the U.S. economy because they take the jobs Americans do not want. Others, however, have the opinion that undocumented immigrants should be punished for doing things illegally, arguing that undocumented immigrants are taking the jobs of the American people and abusing them by not paying taxes. Although there are speculations that support the claim that immigrants should be punished, there are several counterarguments that state why they should be allowed to stay. Undocumented immigrants are an important factor in the development of the United States of America, and immigrants have supplied a widespread example of economic, social, and political growth.
The American Dream is that dream of a nation in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with options for each according to capacity or accomplishments. It is a dream of social stability in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve to the fullest distinction of which they are essentially competent, and be distinguished by others for what they are, despite of the incidental conditions of birth or stance. People consider America the land of opportunities, a new beginning to a new life in which they can strive and succeed. America is known as the land of the free where if you have the perseverance you can achieve what you want from life. However does the American Dream apply to even those of color equally? Does the American Dream favor those who aren't Caucasian but of different pigments and ethnicities? Throughout history, immigrants and people of color have been cut short from certain carriers or occupations due to their race or ethnicity. An example from history was when The Irish migrated to the United States during the Great Irish Famine in the 19th century and they were banned from finding jobs or careers. When the Americans saw the Indian citizens who became citizens based off marriage back in the day succeeding in their business careers they passed on a law that stopped the Indians from marrying Americans which made the Indians lose their land owning right and businesses. When the African American slaves were first brought onto US land, they had no other option yet to be a slave and work under the command of Americans while the Americans set out to fulfill their American dreams. Have things changed around however throughout history? In my opinion, it is more unrealistic than realistic today...
America is often known as the land of opportunity, a place where you can be free. Many Immigrants came to America so that they could have a greater possibility at succeeding in life. Immigrants took a leap of faith when coming to America, for some it worked out well but for others they had a difficult time here. Despite the struggles that the immigrants encountered such as; standing out from others, being separated from their families, and breaking their culture, the immigrants are still grateful to be in America because they were in better conditions than they were in their home land. When viewing interviews or looking at an immigrant’s perspective you get many responses to being in America, some major things that stood out were the amount of freedom the immigrant had, and the age of the immigrant. These two things had a huge impact on the opinion of America from an Immigrants point of view.
Since the start of the twentieth century America has attracted people all over the world to relocate and start a new life. For many coming to America was a chance for a better life and new things. They all had something in common, they all had a dream, that dream was the "American Dream". In the present day the desire to achieve the dream hasn't changed. However, the idea of the American Dream, brings up a lot of questions. What is the American Dream? Who defines it? Can it be achieved? Lastly, should everyone have a chance to achieve it?
This generation of American teenagers and young adults have the greatest advantage in the history of humankind when to comes to advances in technology, science, and every other field of study. Yet, today’s youth of America is facing obstacles that past generations did not have to deal with. According to Josh Mitchell, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, student loan debt has surpassed one trillion dollars with two-thirds of college students graduating with over thirty-five thousand dollars of debt each. Competition for jobs has made it progressively harder to find a stable job and make a living. According to Hardin’s metaphor of the world being a lifeboat, it is increasingly difficult for people who are not on the lifeboat to find away
Since the early 2000’s illegally immigration increased drastically; more and more people from Latin America have immigrating to this country. Not like the Ellis Island, where immigrants were welcomed in one station, this time they have multiple access where there not so welcome, “Entering the United States illegally is risky; unauthorized immigrants must either use falsified documents to deceive an immigration official, come ashore by boat without being detected, or sneak across the nation 's land borders with Mexico or Canada—which the government spends about $18 billion a year to protect” (Immigration Policy). Most of this people risk their life in order to come here, but why? They are after the American dream. The countries where these people are coming from have little to zero opportunities; most of them live in poverty forcing them to take the long journey to the American dream. This journey has many effects, it not only affects America but also those countries from where people are immigrating. Some people in the U.S. believe that immigrants are destroying the nation, “The population today includes a far higher percentage (12 percent) of foreign-born Americans than in recent decades, yet the economy is strong, with higher total gross domestic product (GDP), higher GDP per person, higher productivity per worker, and more Americans working than
Ronald Regan describes America as, “…a place in the divine scheme that was set aside as a promised land” (“Loosing the American Dream”). Do Regan’s words have any truth to them? How can America be a promised land when immigrants are still fighting for the chance to pursue the American Dream and social acceptance? Immigrants have different motives for coming to America some may seek citizenship for political freedoms that they once did not have due to uprising civil wars in their native country. Others may come for social freedoms that they were not awarded in their home country due to sexual orientation. Others may come for economic freedoms that allows them to go from rags to riches. No matter the reason, immigrants risk everything for a chance to pursue the American dream. So why is it so hard for immigrants to earn a spot as a citizen of the United States of America? Why are immigrants still facing narrow-mindedness criticism for being foreign? It is time for Americans to change their prejudice views of immigrants.
The American Dream is a personal thing. Every person’s belief or thought on what the American Dream is different than anybody else’s. There is one noticeable common thread between every conceivable Dream though: the dream is to live a better life socially, monetarily, or contentedly than your parents did. The conflicts at the time helps determine what aspect of life you wish to improve upon, but it will always be the same principal as long as America stands free.