Latino Immigrants and American Dreams

Katherine Domenech
English.12
Professor. McPherson
5/28/13

Latino Immigrants and the American Dream In the past decades many Latinos from all parts of the world have come to the states to change their lifestyle and create their own American dream. However, their American dreams come down to negative experiences because they have to with things such as racism or deportation from entering the states illegally which can affect the American dream they really want. But what is the American dream? And what does the American dream mean to these Latinos? The quality of being an American is a right to freedom and liberty. People living in different countries do not have the privilege to experience our freedom and liberty as we do. But they certainly think highly of those privileges. Americans feel safe and comfortable in being citizens because they are entitled to their constitutional rights. But for non citizen Hispanics that live here or pending citizenship see freedom and liberty far from close. Not because there Latinos but because of the racism or prejudice that often take affect from ignorant people who do not believe in giving immigrants a chance to a better life. Few Hispanics like myself stay in school to attain a career in order to not only support themselves and their lifestyle but also to support their family. Some not given the opportunity to advance will have to depend on there minimum wages that will leave them living a mediocre life where they live c heck to check just to survive. Latinos who are already a born citizen doesn't quite have the same problems as immigrated immigrants. Today the U.S. Border has become increasingly strict to curb the border making it harder for illegal immigrants to guarantee to cross over the border. Immigrants who choose to become a permanent resident have to jump through hoops to finally become a resident. Green cards today can get really expensive for undocumented immigrants and can vary from $5,000-$15,000 even before adding application fees. Immigrants today in the U.S. Can still wait for citizenship up to four years or more. But finding no sense of direction or help from the government has left many crossing over because of the years pass by without any answers and how extreme the price it is to become a citizen in the united states. Immigrants hear about all the opportunity that are available living in the united states. They hear stories about the American dream with promises of a better life were they can peruse there careers and become doctors,teachers and lawyers. But when they come in the states reality kicks in and instead of perusing a career there stuck doing manual labor for less than minimum wage. They can afford to live in the states so they defiantly cant there family even if they wanted to because the right we Americans have does not apply to them so there taken advantaged. Immigrants come to the states to get jobs that us Americans won't consider taking but then Americans complain that all the immigrants are taking all the jobs. Employers hire immigrant workers for less than they would have to pay for non-immigrant workers but in the article “illegal aliens taking U.S. Jobs” “this employment that men are doing are illegal under a law enacted in 1986. they hire illegal workers for underground employment and simply accept fake employees for there business. Hispanics today are slowly growing rapidly in the states and as population grows there level of education stays the same leaving immigrants working hard to get somewhere in life and those who are raised and born here are spoiled with all the advantages the government gives them,its all wasted on dropouts to set there lives juggling jobs or being unemployed collecting welfare as they sit on the couch and waste there lives. Statistics shows In 2000,64 percent of Hispanics 18-24 years old had completed secondary schooling , this is a majority of immigrants today working less then minimum wages to support families wishing they were able to have that advantage that they will never get suffering not having medical plans or retirement because they are non citizen workers working illegally. Few immigrants Hispanics found themselves becoming things they could only dream of doing with there life like in the article “Immigrants search for better life and understanding” Jorge Islas-Martinez who came here illegally change his life around,becoming a citizen and a translator, teacher and bill collector and often volunteers and owns a home,and is an activist on immigration reform. Immigrants like Jorge broke the rules to live a better life for those who might this is impossible. Jorge entering the states was also a struggle as he hid under the train and grab the underbelly going to California. Growing up in a poor family with six kids his mother wouldn't eat to leave enough for her children. These are just few of Hispanics who are truly looking to make something out of there lives.