What American Dream?

WHAT: Words have a very powerful effect on a person or a situation. There are a few words like “illegal” and “criminal” that provide discourse among undocumented people. The most common word used to describe undocumented immigrants is the term “illegal.” These words put undocumented immigrants on a negative showcase by providing negative connotations. The author of “Illegal,” Jose Angel N., writes, “… there is a troubling incongruity in applying the same appellation, criminal, to a rapist and to a poor, honest gardener that is grotesque nonsense to designate with the same epithet a parricide or a serial killer and a decent, truehearted worker” (xi). When one thinks of the word “criminal” or “illegal,” one tends to associate those words with negative actions or bad people, which more than likely, these undocumented immigrants are not. These people have only come to this country in hopes of achieving the American Dream. These people are NOT real criminals. Real criminals are murderers, rapists and robbers, not hard-working people trying to provide for their families and survive in this cruel world. Undocumented immigrants contribute more to America than most American citizens do and most of them love America more than most American citizens.

America has set laws to stop undocumented immigrants from not only entering our country, but also, these laws have created an unimaginable fear and stress among those individuals who have successfully immigrated into the United States. For example, the Real ID Act is an act passed by Congress that pertains to security and authentication of state’s driver’s licenses and identification cards. For the author, this act prevented him from renewing his license since renewal required a Social Security number and the number he had was fake. This act made life that much harder for Jose. Not only did he have a fear of being caught and deported back to his hometown, now he had the stress of not having an ID, not being able to drive and not being able to even buy alcohol or be allowed into a bar. Without his ID and with the other laws that limit his life in America, Jose’s “environment has changed significantly. It’s gotten darker. Tighter. This action by Congress pushed [him] deeper into the shadows” (13). How will he be able to achieve his American Dream if America won’t give him, or any undocumented immigrant, a chance?

SO WHAT: As previously stated, words have a powerful effect on a person. Words and language are key components to successfully interacting with other people. Language, for Jose and other undocumented individuals, was a social barrier. It made him “voiceless in [his] new home” and it even caused him to believe that he “might as well had been unborn” (63). Also, he says, “without a good grasp of English, I was nothing but a bundle of flesh and bone still waiting for the breath of life. I only half exist” (62). Being able to communicate with others is essential to life, to creating relationships and to connecting with others. This language barrier caused Jose to pursue learning English and become bilingual. As he pursued learning English, he had lost some of his native language. He writes, “Like sad autumn leaves, I had been slowly shedding fragments of my mother tongue over the cycles of my life away from home” (67). The loss of some of his native tongue resulted in a harder time communicating with family back home and it caused him to feel isolated from his own hometown. As he was striving to learn English, he lost touch with his own language. This was heartbreaking for Jose because now he not only felt like a shadow in America, but now he also felt like he was becoming a shadow in his own hometown.

This language dilemma affected not only his relationship with family members, but also, it affected his relationships with friends and colleagues. At work, he tried to mask his broken English so that he wouldn’t feel like an outcast at work. Despite the hardships of losing some of his native tongue, Jose was able to learn a pretty decent amount of English. He writes, “Learning English also offered me immediate rewards” (43). Now, not only was he able to communicate better with his friends and colleagues, but also, he could now pursue a better education in America, which he successful achieved. Jose was able to attend college and get a masters education.

NOW WHAT: I think that this book is important to the immigration debate we currently have in American politics. This book shows in writing the hardships and affects that immigration and no documentation have on people. Majority of the people in our country who are undocumented share these hardships, fears and stresses that Jose exhibited in his book. Recently, Trump signed an executive order banning people from seven different Middle Eastern countries, even if those individuals have a green card or a permanent resident card. This book, although focuses on undocumented immigrants, can still have relevance to this ban on Middle Eastern countries and individuals. Not only did Trump isolate these individuals, he also instilled a greater sense of fear into them. Also, Trump previously had plans on building a wall along the Mexico border to prevent individuals from entering America. This wall and ban have equal effects on two different communities.

America is viewed as a place of peace, hope and the all so famous American Dream. Immigrants enter America hoping to find their American Dream, but what dream can they find if there are so many laws limiting their contribution and interaction with America? I think that the political efforts to deport undocumented immigrants are a waste of time. For example, the ban that Trump signed is a waste of time, in my opinion. Look at the consequences his actions created. Airports have been shut down or delayed for hours due to political protests and one can only imagine the pain, heartbreak and hatred that have been engraved into the minds and hearts of these people who have been affected by the ban.

Do I think that all undocumented immigrants should have the right to a path of citizenship? I do not think that undocumented immigrants should have the right to a path of citizenship because not every individual is going to be as wholesome and positive as Jose is. Being from a family with many lawyers and cops, I have noticed over the years that some of the people committing crimes have been those very same individuals that have come here from their hometowns to pursue the American Dream. Although undocumented, they still broke the law and committed a real crime. Those particular individuals, I feel, should not have a right to citizenship in this country. Despite this, I also believe that every individual should have the right to at least apply and TRY to obtain documentation to become a permanent resident. Like Jose says, “The United States is a country of laws, but it is also a compassionate nation” (25). Sure, America is full of laws, but again, how does one achieve the American Dream if they aren’t given the chance or if these laws block their path? Is America really that compassionate to others? How can this country be compassionate if this country is also the one passing numerous laws that limit an individual’s right to live?