Undocumented Immigrants: The Unattainable American Dream

WHAT: Jose Angel N is an admirable human being, who through his hard work and determination shifted the stereotype that immigrants only have the potential to be dishwashers, cooks, janitors, gardeners, etc. As an undocumented immigrant he suffered a variety of challenges when he tried reaching his dream of being educated. Unfortunately, in American society it is common for someone anyone who doesn’t have a “legal status” to be humiliated with hateful words such as, criminal, unlawful, illegal. Jose touches base on the power of words when he says, “In another acceptation, criminal activity is, more generally, “conduct in violation of the law.” By these definitions, the number of criminal immigrants living in this country is simply staggering. Yet a natural instinct tells us that this cannot be, there is a troubling incongruity in applying the same appellation, criminal, to a rapist and to a poor, honest gardener, that it is a grotesque nonsense to a designate with the sane epithet a parricide or a serial killer and a decent, true-hearted worker.” (xi). Although society constantly uses these words to humiliate and dehumanize immigrants, deep down we can see that who we call “criminals” are human beings that are giving it their all-in attempts to sustain their families. Who we call “illegal” are working, ethical human beings who all they ask for is an opportunity to work in order to obtain what we call basic needs.

The laws placed on regulations for undocumented immigrants eliminates the possibility of one day obtaining the “American Dream.” What distinguishes the United States is the belief that every citizen has of the opportunity to obtain the American dream. Yet, this statement doesn’t apply if you are an undocumented immigrant in this country. Jose emphasizes the reality of the American Dream for undocumented immigrants when he shares his story about applying to law school. Jose had been preparing for several months for his entrance exam. He had taken extra classes and bought extra books to prepare for his big exam. As the date for his exam approached, he was confronted by the lack of a social security number. “My clandestine crossing of the border had delivered me safely to the gates of economic solvency and to path to self-fulfillment. But my mobility was limited. The liberty I had found was merely an illusion. To quote a popular Mexican song, my situation was-and is- a “golden cage” wherein my flight was nothing but a prolonged dream” (pg.55). This country thrives on the belief that anyone can get educated, get a well-paying job and live happily ever after. But just like Jose said, it’s an illusion for undocumented immigrants. This country doesn’t take into consideration all the hard work, sacrifices, dreams that each person faces, all it cares about is if you have a document that says, “you are legal.”

So What? Over the course of the book, we notice a personal change within Jose in regard to his immigration status. Arriving to this country includes a variety of difficulties including language barriers. It is very difficult to communicate with others and especially it is very hard to get the courage to speak in front of English speakers. One specific example where we see Jose grow is when the police officer pulls him over. Jose explains how he tries to speak English to the officer and attempts to tell him that his turn signals had stopped working. But he failed to communicate his message and in return he failed ashamed and humiliated. “Soon after [he] arrived at [his] ESL class, where [he] refu[ed] to speak English all day.” (58). As a result of this event. Jose developed a trauma. To him every encounter with an English speaker was a test where a mispronunciation could lead to humiliation. As the book proceeds Jose remembers the same event with the police officer expect this time his perspective towards the language barrier has changed. He explains how “although [the officer’s] intention was to humiliate [him, [he] now [saw] him with a different light and [thought] of him as a good instructor. His standards were high, and his demand that [he] spoke clearly was not unjust, only premature. (74). This shows Jose’s personal growth because what once brought him down was now used as motivation to overcome his fears, but more specifically to overcome the language barriers.

Now What? Just like Jose I am an immigrant to this country. With every story he shared about his life I would retrace my own experiences. I was specifically impacted with his experience as an English Language Learner. He explains how “most of [his] classmates were Spanish speakers, and since none of [them] were confident or advanced enough in [their] new language, [they] inevitably reverted back to Spanish every time” (63). As an ELL I suffered from severe segregation. I was placed in a segregated English Language Learner’s classroom. This made it very difficult to learn the language because we were all under the same situation, we we had no one who wanted to speak to us and therefore we became afraid of English speakers. When they were near us, they would look at us as if we were dumb, incapable of learning at their same speed. Jose’s experience reminded me of the importance of promoting bilingual education, where both native speakers and ELL’s can benefit mutually. Then Jose speaks of his college experience. He explains how his acceptance to college seemed as another illusion, something unrealistic. “Who would have thought that I, an undocumented immigrant who not so long before was still washing dishes for a living, would not be rubbing shoulders with rich kids all over the country?” (49). I can completely relate to this statement. Even with a 4.0 GPA in high school, I still thought I wasn’t good enough to go to college. I thought that I would automatically be rejected, so why apply in the first place? It was only because my counselor forced me to take advantage of my free applications that I applied to colleges. In my mind I just couldn’t believe that a girl who had immigrated from a small ranch her freshmen year could be accepted into a 4-year university. Every time I look back I realize how privileged I am to attend Dominican University. Every time I visit Mexico I am reminded of this unrealistic privilege. Everyone back home lives in poverty, have kids, and especially have lost their dreams. On the contrary for me, every semester is a new opportunity to succeed. It is a new opportunity to learn, to grow, and to strive for my dreams.