Migration As A Search For The American Dream Despite Risks

downloadDownload
  • Words 818
  • Pages 2
Download PDF

The American dream has been passed on to us for many decades through various movies, newspapers and magazines such as the land of opportunities. Immigrants coming from all over the world with the expectation that here, they will achieve, even with much effort, a better life. Often leaving behind their material possessions, their careers and even their family members and carrying their dreams and hope in their luggage. The “American dream” in its basic essence would be the belief that: Every American citizen has an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative.

Political and economic instabilities are the main reasons that have led many foreigners to seek a new opportunity for life and work outside their home country. The search for a country with more security, stability in the economy, better conditions of education, housing, quality health system and even better transport conditions are among the most commented arguments.

Click to get a unique essay

Our writers can write you a new plagiarism-free essay on any topic

The American dream that everyone seeks is freedom. The freedom to be able to be who you are or who you want to be, the right to dress the way you want to go to the grocery store and people will never look at you differently. It is the freedom to work with anything and earn enough money to maintain yourself with dignity by doing so, even if you are not here just for the money. There are many wealthy immigrants in their countries who migrate to the United States simply because the country has a freer culture and many others also for security. And that makes the American dream truly borderless. Another interesting fact that catches my attention is that, in other countries generally the laws tend to be the same regardless of the state, but in the United States, the 50 states have different laws. People can choose which legislation they prefer to live under. Those immigrants who do not want to pay absurd tax rates can choose to live in Texas for example. You have the opportunity to make the choices you prefer.

Here you do not need to have a beautiful resume full with unnecessary information, the country shows you the opportunities and it’s up to you to embrace them. You just need to show what you know and can do. You can work in underemployment, earn 4 times more than you earned in your super job in your country of origin, however only those who are too lazy to work hard, those who can not think outside the box, those who don’t go after it, continue to work on this underemployed jobs. But it is important to underline that this does not mean that you will get rich in six months of work. The difference is that here you earn with dignity to live well within the country regardless of what you do, without any judgment and being treated equally by everyone.

In addition to knowing several cases of people who migrated from other countries to the United States, I am also the living proof of this process. Even though I had the chance to graduate in two majors in my home country and having the opportunity to work for one of the largest accounting firms in the world. I decided it was time to experience something different. This does not mean that I was unhappy in my country, but I came here with the hope of experiencing something new that could renew me as a human being. I wanted to see with my own eyes what is the American dream that everyone has always told me about.

But as in any other situation, we also have to look at this migratory process from its negative side. Migrating is a difficult and complex process. You are far from your family and friends. You face daily challenges and this can be more or less painful depending on your migratory condition and your support network. Being an immigrant in the USA is quite different from vacationing at Disney or touring in Manhattan. In these cases, you are just a tourist who came here in order to spend money and see the wonderful side that the country offers. Being an undocumented immigrant in the United States means living with fear all day long. The fear of being deported at any time, the fear of getting sick and having to face a health care system that even Americans do not understand very well, the fear of not being able to work, the fear of not being able to pay high taxes in some states. Yet with all this fear and insecurity, people migrate. They migrate not because they want to leave their homes and their families behind, but because they need and often the situation in their country of origin has become untenable. As long as these people are needed, they will continue their search for the American dream even considering the risks of the journey.

image

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy.