The Struggling Grasp of the American Dream
Kathy P. Lee
College English 1110-17
Final Draft
October 21, 2013
The Struggling Grasps of the American Dream
Today many people immigrate to the United States from all over the world because they want to achieve the American dream; to be free, have equality, and to be successful. As Thomas Wolfe said, “...to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity ...the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him” (Wolfe); my grandparents also had that dream before coming to America. Instead, when they arrived in America, they soon realized that the American dream was far from their grasps and nothing they expected it to be. Growing up in a small three-bedroom house and living with twenty people, I learned the barriers and struggles that made the American dream unattainable for me and my family.
In the text from the Missing Class, Newman and Chan stated about one of the people they highlighted “Tomas is not poor, but a look at his rundown apartment might suggest otherwise.” (351) this quote was a perfect example of how my family and I lived. We did not have many financial support, but it was enough to live by. Both of my parents worked very hard to keep food on the tables and clothes on our back. We used to live in a small, three-bedroom house with twenty people. My father’s mother (Pa Zoua Moua) always believed that all family members had to live together, so all my aunts and uncles and cousins lived with me and my family.
Most of my clothes were “hand me downs” from my aunt who was three years older than I was. Meals were shared as a family; whatever was in the fridge we ate. In my family, nothing went to waste. Along with sharing meals, we also shared everything else in the house. For example, toys were always too expensive, and my aunt and I always had to share toys, especially my favorite glass doll we named Susie. On the other hand, during holidays since
College English 1110-17
Final Draft
October 21, 2013
The Struggling Grasps of the American Dream
Today many people immigrate to the United States from all over the world because they want to achieve the American dream; to be free, have equality, and to be successful. As Thomas Wolfe said, “...to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity ...the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him” (Wolfe); my grandparents also had that dream before coming to America. Instead, when they arrived in America, they soon realized that the American dream was far from their grasps and nothing they expected it to be. Growing up in a small three-bedroom house and living with twenty people, I learned the barriers and struggles that made the American dream unattainable for me and my family.
In the text from the Missing Class, Newman and Chan stated about one of the people they highlighted “Tomas is not poor, but a look at his rundown apartment might suggest otherwise.” (351) this quote was a perfect example of how my family and I lived. We did not have many financial support, but it was enough to live by. Both of my parents worked very hard to keep food on the tables and clothes on our back. We used to live in a small, three-bedroom house with twenty people. My father’s mother (Pa Zoua Moua) always believed that all family members had to live together, so all my aunts and uncles and cousins lived with me and my family.
Most of my clothes were “hand me downs” from my aunt who was three years older than I was. Meals were shared as a family; whatever was in the fridge we ate. In my family, nothing went to waste. Along with sharing meals, we also shared everything else in the house. For example, toys were always too expensive, and my aunt and I always had to share toys, especially my favorite glass doll we named Susie. On the other hand, during holidays since