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The Immigrants Dream |
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WHAT IS THE AMERICAN DREAM? |
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| The very phrase American Dream must be defined, as it has a pertinent role in immigrants' lives. The term is used so thoughtlessly that it has lost its true meaning and significance. The American Dream is idealistic in nature and rather vague, yet is a compass towards success, contentment, and fulfillment of one's goals. The essence of the dream lies not so much in the destination but more in the journey, which consists of relentlessly, tirelessly toiling, seeing the light at the end of hte tunnel and constantly working toward it. It is a journey in which one learns from the experience of their labor and works hard to reach one's goals. It is of enjoying and holding to the highest regards the fruit of determination and exerting oneself. The Dream is not meant to be impossible; but, because of the desire to obtain their very best, people are left constantly struggling and yearning for more. It can almost be seen as the brightest star in the sky that, if one tries repeatedly without giving up, can grasp and savor. The relationships one acquires with others plays an integral role in the American Dream as well. These relationships become fulfilling experiences. Also, through the American Dream, one learns of the valuable asset of responsibility. The ideal product of the Dream accepts all consequences as his/her own. Although the American Dream has come to be symbolized by the ideal, picturesque home along with a white picket fence, it means much, much more. It is quite possibly the very spirit of American values, with its emphasis on diligent individuals who strive for nothing less than the best and achieve only after sweating, learning the true meaning of fortitude and triumph. |
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that the Chinese revere Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is a testament to his ability to transcend cultural barriers in drama |
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"In the greatest country in the world a young man with such-personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker...I'll get him a job selling. He could be big in no time" (Miller, 1546). |
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For immigrants to the United States, especially during the last century, the pulling factor that enticed them to taste a new life in a foreign land is often this concept of the American Dream. There is this sense that, as Esmeralda Santiago writes in When I Was Puerto Rican, "the streets were paved in gold."
Because I am the daughter of immigrants from India, I am aware of the cultural significance of the American Dream, for it has lived so strongly in not only my household, but thrived in immigrant communities. Just as Willy Loman desires the best for his children and dreams of the day he can own his own business, so too do many parents in immigrant communities fancy the day they can finally boast of their children being successful in professional lives. My family is typical of this. My mother always reminds her children that anything is possible in this land of opportunity so long as one works hard for it. I think that what drives immigrants, especially, in pursuing this American Dream is this concept of "success" that Willy Loman struggles with. For many immigrant families, "success" is equated with possessing money and having the prestigious title of being a doctor, or a lawyer, or professor, etc. But success is also defined as having raised a loving family, having attained a job that one really enjoys, having finally mastered that recipe for making a nostalgic dish from back home. I think that these variations in the definitions of success are what make immigrant families so determined, while Willy Loman's skewed view of success was focused on becoming the next Donald Trump. Sure it's good to dream, but dreams that are unrealistic and destroy a person aren't dreams, but living a surreal existance. |
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"Just to know that there's still a possibility for better things" (Miller, 1566). |
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thanks to "-getcarter" at www.deviantart.com/view/243455 for background |
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