...Chicano 10B 22 August 2014 The Struggles of Undocumented Students What is the dream of an Undocumented Student? The dream of an undocumented student is to pursue the American Dream of becoming someone professional and having the opportunity to help their family back in their country. What are the reasons that the government does not want undocumented students to continue pursuing an education after they graduate from High School? The government does not focus on what undocumented students dream of becoming in the future. What they do focus on are the jobs they are taking from our country. Undocumented students are being denied the privilege of attending college because they are unaware of their rights to attend college. Every year, there are many undocumented students from different countries migrating to the United States. They migrate from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala in search for a better life. However, once they arrive to the United States they are faced with many obstacles that they did not know existed. Many undocumented students graduate from high schools, but only a few get the opportunity to pursue the American Dream because they do not have the right documentations. I believe the government should give undocumented student a visa in order for them to pursue their dreams. Chicanos and Latinos students are being affected by this situation because most of them end up going back to their countries. Other students end up working in low wage jobs for example...
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...The American dream After a brutal war in 1776, 13 American colonies created the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln have developed ideological aspects, which constitute the phrase of the American dream: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. The following text will analyses and explain the American dream. The interpretation of the American dream. Text 2 Arnold Schwarzenegger is an immigrant from Austria. When he came to America, from his difficult life in Austria, he then soon began a carrier as an actor. One may state that he had fulfilled American dream, but he did not stop there. He became the governor of California. “I have succeeded beyond my wildest imagination”, Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote. His text is very positive and optimistic. He pursued his happiness and realized his American dream. He always remembers his challenging past and is forever grateful for his present and the future. Arnold Schwarzenegger explains how appreciative he is to be able to join a nation, which helped him succeed his American dream: “To truly succeed as an American citizen, you have to do more”. Everyone has to participate in establishing a nation where you as a citizen are obligated and given the opportunity to pursuit the happiness, freedom, liberty and equality. Anya Kamenetz is...
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...UCI Student ID: 21961446 To Whom It May Concern, My name is Bao Khanh Lam Dang. I was accepted to University of California, Irvine as a freshman for the 2014-2015 school year. Initially, I submitted my SIR as I wanted to become a student at one of the most premier universities in the nation; however, due to the overwhelming tuition fees that my family cannot afford and limited access to many financial counseling programs, I reluctantly revoked my SIR. I planned to enroll in community college, then transfer to UC Irvine at the junior level. After much consideration, I realized that I had taken a great opportunity to succeed for granted. My parents and I recently immigrated to the United States on August 08, 2013. To be offered college admission was a true honor for a new immigrant like me; therefore, I accepted the offer immediately without noticing that I am not yet eligible to be a California resident. Nevertheless, when I informed my mother and father about the estimated expenses to attend UC Irvine, which were nearly $55,000, they asked me to defer my dream of becoming an Anteater for another two years to have my residency established. The extremely enormous out-of-state resident tuition fees along with my Cal-Grant ineligibility tampered my enthusiasm for continuing my college path. I then changed my SIR status. However, I have recently contacted an Anteater alumni and she informed me that I could amend my financial problems by taking out loans. This essential information...
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...Why the “American Dream” is not as Charming as it is Publicized Having a dream is, indeed, the starting point of any mission that you may want to partake in. The great names that have shaped the American history had big dreams for themselves and the nation at large. Marcia (1993) avers that “…without dreams and vision, companies and countries fail, and without our personal dreams, hopes and aspirations, life can become meaningless.” Indeed, a dream gives us the ability to steer our ships in the vast sea of life characterized by stormy rides. The dream inspires us to soldier on, regardless of the impediments that may strike us on the way to our destination. Moreover, as we all know confidence, courage and hard work are requisite ingredients that will give rise to our dreams. For that reason, when we set to evaluate people’s success, we need to learn about what keeps them motivated in their pursuit for their dreams. United States of America has over years seen influx of immigrants from different walks of life; all coming with just a suitcase and a sweet dream in tow. The promises of fortune, freedom, equality of opportunity continues to tempt many people to relocate to America despite the bulk of literature on stories of isolation and hardship faced by the immigrants on the American soil. Once they reach their much anticipated destination, the immigrants find themselves in horrible, hapless and unimaginable situations. Americans, who unlike the immigrants have a chance to...
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...Illegal Mexican Immigrants and Their Life in California There are many negative stereotypes of illegal Mexican immigrants. Many Americans don’t like the idea that illegal immigrants don’t pay many forms of taxes. Because of their undocumented legal status, we don’t have much information about their background. Their presence in the society creates uncertainty. They are seen as a factor of social instability. Many Americans also blame them for the taking over jobs. However, the reality is that California is becoming more and more dependent on its illegal Mexican immigrant population. These illegal immigrants from Mexico are a reliable source of low cost labor for California. They take the low paid, seasonal, menial and physically demanding jobs that the U.S. citizens are not willing to take. They stabilize the economy of California by keeping the labor cost low, thus keeping a lid on the inflation rate. They contribute to the government by paying sales tax directly and income tax at least indirectly. They are not here to enjoy benefits, as they are not eligible for most public assistance. The vast majority of them are here in California for work and better life. They are peaceful being and they work very hard to earn their place. The reality shows that illegal Mexican immigrants bring substantial positive impacts to California not only economically but also culturally. The huge number of illegal Mexican workers shows us their ethic of hard work and the importance of love for...
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...Kill A Mockingbird & Race Relations “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” (King). This quote by the notable Martin Luther King Jr. describes an image of society that has yet to develop. Ever since the European settlement of Colonial America, an air of Caucasian superiority has existed. African Americans spent centuries working on plantations while the Caucasians went about their privileged lives; they are still viewed as uneducated and a threat to the safety of Caucasians. Hispanics are viewed as people who work the jobs that the Caucasians refuse to do. Native Americans have become targets of sexual...
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...Walter Brueggemann’s The Prophetic Imagination addresses the dull, exhausted, uncritical, oppressed and theologically stagnant mind of the dominant culture. Brueggemann says that in order to transform the culture through imaginative engagement we first need to rediscover the prophetic tradition and allow it to define us. The ideas expressed in this book have been formative to my own sense of call. Characterizing dominant culture as corresponding to the paradigm of Dynastic Egypt from which Moses liberated the Hebrew people in the Exodus, such culture is situated upon “royal consciousness,” as Brueggemann labels it. This royal consciousness seeks to perpetuate itself by any means necessary, even at the expense of its soul. Dominant culture always subsists at the cost of tyrannizing, impoverishing and even extinguishing other people. Examples of such oppression are found in the early chapters of Exodus when the Egyptian taskmasters mete out Pharaoh’s harsh punishments or even King Solomon’s insecure monarchy that required displacing clans and tribes and conscripting forced labor (1 Kings 9:15). Fundamental to this oppression is the...
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...Many of my friends wonder why I would willingly sit in a conference room for three hours every Friday, but after two years, that simple white and blue room has become a second home to me. The MinKwon Center is where my closest friendships are formed through our passion for immigration reforms. MinKwon highlighted social injustices happening to our community. After learning that some of my closest friends are undocumented with no way of paying for college, what I was doing in MinKwon became more than just volunteering. MinKwon taught me to use the power of my voice. Rallying to expand DACA for students like myself, constantly pressuring governors to vote yes for the Dream Act, door-knocking to educate people on why they should vote (did you know Asian Americans have...
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...to create a societal status. They were misunderstood in various occasions and faced tragic end like Gatsby. The Jazz age or popularly called the roaring twenties took place after the World War I and ended with the start of great recession during 1929. The result of prohibition and the banned sale of alcohol made various millionaires who were economically not sound. The period witnessed a new style of music called “jazz” which marked the extravagant and extrovert American lifestyle that crept in with influx of money into the societal scenario. This period marked the beginning of an exciting time with ragtime and blues whose basis was money and sheer money. This philosophy swayed away from the original philosophy of the American dream which speculated that anyone could succeed if they concentrated on self improvement and could be rich and wealthy with hard...
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...ethnicity, then eventually it leads you to your identity. My last name, Janser, comes from Germany. However, my identity is not German, is Hispanic. My parents were immigrants that came from Honduras over 20 years ago. My father never finished high school and came to this country to leave the gangs and violence in his community to come to this country and be a successful. On the hand, my mother was a successful doctor and made the hardest decision to leave everything she worked so hard for and come to great country. Mom and Dad struggle a lot being in this country both physically and professionally. My dad is a truck driver. Getting to that point was not easy, especially that he survived two...
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...categories: the need for security, and the need to accommodate the drive toward growth,” (Brill, 2005, pg. 27) all of which can be fulfilled by education. As a citizen of the United States, in an egalitarian society where educational advancement is fostered, I was able to become closer towards achieving the American dream. Education was also seen by my immigrant family as an important factor in attaining greater opportunities and ultimately an improved lifestyle. The process of accomplishing the American dream is one which is not always easy and comes with many challenges. One important challenge was getting the resources I needed to further my academic goals, which was hampered by my parents’ inability to understand the educational system in the United States, and my parents’ limited financial assets. As a result, I knew I would have to depend on outside assistance. This proved to be a difficult task for me, because as a male I felt there was a negative stigma associated with asking for help from an outside source as this may display vulnerability. Nevertheless, with dedication and support from those who I trusted, it made the American dream more possible. My parents’ experiences have led them to have high expectations of me, and encouraged me to aspire for the highest achievement possible considering they were not fortunate enough to have the opportunity to acquire a higher degree than primary school. They were forced to deal with issues of oppression in their home country...
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...1. My major is business. I want to study this major because it is my dream when I was young. 2. Throughout college years, I hope to gain more knowledge in my major. Besides, I would like to get involve to activities that can help me build up the relationship between other students, faculties and me. That helps me in communicating. 3. I’m a sophomore, and I would like to transfer to the University of Washington to get a bachelor’s degree. 4. Attending college is a great chance for me to start pursuing my goals. I have known a lot of resources that are very helpful for my major. Besides, there are many staffs and instructors who are willing to help students, like myself 5. No words could describe my feeling at that moment I received the award letter. I was crying because it was my first achievement since I came to the US. My family is so proud of me…. 6. Growing up in hard conditions, and experiencing many challenges, I appreciate a chance to pursue a higher education. I believe it is the only way to achieve the successful future. netsfinau@juno.com Lynette Finau My educational interest is Business Management and hope to be a business owner one day. Growing up in hard conditions in Vietnam with a small family business. This stems from my family business back home in Vietnam because funds were limited to us to expand. I am now in the right place here in American, here at South Seattle CC, having received this scholarship to help me through school to...
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...My five strength themes are deliberative, futuristic, responsibility, relator and consistency. I found these strengths to be consistent with who I am. Deliberative is described as someone who is serious, careful with decisions, calculated, not easily flattered by words, and one who rarely gives compliments (Gallup 2017). It also describes another part where I feel mostly connected with and that is being “Private”. Privacy is something that I struggle with, I often view “being private” as being weak. But I realize now that this could be a strength and could be used in my favor. Being methodical and careful in my travel plans is crucial, especially when traveling to another country, one mistake could ruin a trip. I often travel to different...
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...comfortable planting both feet and feeling as if they have honored the two worlds which they have been exposed to. Chang-Rae Lee’s Native Speaker is an intense novel that does not only deal with issues such as self-identity but gets at the very heart of the conflict that children of immigrants feel and attacks issues of loss and the quest for self-discovery. In Native Speaker, the main character, Henry Park, suffers an identity crisis as he grows up in a Korean household versus growing up in an American world. This paper will discuss the causes and extent of Henry’s crisis. Henry Park has his feet planted in two worlds but feels as if he does not belong to either world. First, is the Korean world in which he was born and raised. Second, is the American world in which he is forced to live in and abide by. To Henry, the conflict of the two worlds is at first seemingly separate and he is able to move carelessly between the two. As a child his parents taught him the Korean way. As a man he was expected to be firm and somewhat emotionless, “I remembered how I sat with him in those restaurants, both of us eating without savor, unjoyous, and my wanting to show him that I could be as steely as he, my chin as rigid and unquivering as any of his displays, that I would tolerate no mysteries either, no shadowy...
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...students. My mentor has shown passion for those ‘at risk’ students for the last thirteen years, by instilling in them a sense of self-empowerment, and motivational strategies. Mrs. Martinez truly believes that the students success tells you how successful one as the teacher is. The path to becoming a successful educator, depends on one’s ability to maintain an organized learning environment, learning other people’s learning styles and catering to the needs of the students. Her method of delivering material and ensuring the students success has a lot to do with her perspective on the negative connotation around ‘at risk’ students,...
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