Review Of Jimmy Santiago Baca's 'Immigrant American Dream'
1952 Words8 Pages
Kassandra Gonzalez
Block: F
Ms. Garcia
21 February 2015
Immigrant American Dream When coming to America, immigrants in general tend to bear a great sense of hope due to the many factors that advertise the concept of the American Dream. These factors that promote the American Dream include newspapers, magazines, immigrant families, the president, etc. Although many of these immigrants come to America in hopes of receiving a better life and equal opportunity, the reality upon arrival includes many hardships. A great amount of literature is used to illustrate these hardships, such as having to go through acculturation, receiving unfavorable job opportunities and enduring a large amount of discrimination. Although the American Dream is attainable,…show more content… "One of the least-discussed aspects of the immigrant experience relates to the working conditions foreign-born citizens and illegal immigrants are often forced to endure. The dark side of the American Dream has, from the country's beginnings to present day, involved immigrants working menial jobs for long hours at poverty wages."(Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream) Author Jimmy Santiago Baca's poem "Immigrants in Our Own Land" represents the reality that immigrants must endure when entering into America. Baca writes, "But write away we are sent to work as dishwashers, to work in fields for three cents an hour."(II 2) Illustrating the fact that although immigrants carry the hope of receiving good work and pay, the reality tends to be the complete opposite. The majority of immigrants tend to receive these low income jobs, due to the fact they are seen as being incapable of attaining or accomplishing anything…show more content… In general, immigrant children tend to follow in their parents footsteps and work for labor forces that provide low income while also taking away their time for education. "Families whose ethnic value orientations de-emphasized education and whose precarious economic situation necessitated child labor, usually insisted upon their children quitting school and going to work to increase the family income."(Parillo 141) Immigrant families tend to prioritize their financial stability and therefore allow their children to slack when it comes to their education. Although immigrants wish for their children to receive a better education when coming to America, many times the children are unable to finish