By Haidy M.
Beaverton, Oregon
With America’s known history and diverse population, this country has been regarded for its beacon of opportunity and the unity it brought to many people in the world. The United States has Consistently provided its individuals with better opportunities and fortune to pursue their dress and achievements of success. This including myself where I have seen to fall into the role of the American Dream, the resources have helped me get closer to my goals and life aspirations. I owe America my success, achievements and life. Is what I’d say if I didn’t know all of the corruption that is involved with this great opportunity rewarding country that leaves immigrant families like mine to be helpless.
Corruption in America is a serious issue that affects not just one but many countries including America. This corruption has been hindering in a way that won’t be brought up by the people with privilege since it’s not in their way of problems they feel they need to help fix. This leaves the opportunities for immigrants that try to uplift themselves from poverty to be a failure. From traveling from other foreign countries to then seeing America as a country for opportunity and unison, to later on having to deal with the imbalances and corruption from low access to education to then companies worsening the condition and living conditions of immigrant citizens. Although not just immigrants are impacted by these economic changes and racial bias, it is also acknowledged that these changes and personal opinions can impact the life and working conditions of the more privileged citizens as well.
My 16 year old mother and her older sister along with my grandmother both had the opportunity to find a way to get through the US border in 2002. They would find ways to manage to sneak their way in. From hiding into commercial trucks, going under or over the border. The one way my mother and them got to the U.S by crossing the Rio Grande Rio Bravo to then get to the Frontera De Matamoros esta a el sur de el rio grande Frontera de Matamoros (Mexico-USA). They eventually took the bus from Texas all the way to Cornelious, Oregon since this is where most of my other family members have also migrated to they wanted to stay together. Making this decision to come into the U.S and to risk your life to get a better life as advertised in the U.S shows how much of a commitment they had. My mom, as a 16 year old, was scared to come to a new country with no documentation, knowledge of the environment or especially not knowing a single word in english. She ended up having to go to school here as a junior. She had to grow up working countless hours to maintain her basic human necessities, she did all of this with no help. From the money she has earned she uses it to look for an immigration lawyer to help her citizenship. One of the main things affecting her chance of getting her citizenship in the U.S was the long backlog. The Immigration Reform Accountability & Security Enhancement Act of 2002 played a huge factor in her processing. This act changed her luck, it was a good thing this law was intended to do but too many people were on the waiting list for their citizenship, adding on to the wait her lawyer had not been doing her best job even to this day GovInfo. Laws were made to prioritize children that were unaccompanied. When George Bush was president serving from 2001-2009 he stated he wanted immigrants to be treated fairly and wanted to deliver a system that was secure President Bush’s Plan for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. . In 2002 the demographics contained a whopping 219,000 Mexican immigrants and my mother was one of them. From the website Migration Policy Institute their reports claimed that the undocumented population from Mexico increased from two million in 1990 to 4.8 million in 2000 and to 5.3 million in 2002. Mexican Immigration to the U.S.: The Latest Estimates. This shows how many people were pulled out of South America into the U.S by their advertisement of a better life with freedom. A new chance at life. Some websites refer to the American dream as the ideal that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. A Brief History Of The American Dream.
My family migrated to this country for the American dream lifestyle, in the end the government failed us and ripped us apart from our relationships with them. My family values relationships with one another and they want to enjoy their time together and make the most of it for time is taken for granted. I have not yet seen my grandpa since I was eight years old because he was deported back to my home country in San Luis Potosi. I wish I could go back one day always reminiscing about what relationship I would’ve had with him if they didn’t fail our loved ones.
Join all Americans and share your story about your history and your hopes and dreams for the future of our country. Together, we will tell the American story through videos and the most inclusive commemoration in our history.
Engaging students nationwide to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary!
This contest invites students in grades 3–12 to share their perspectives on what America means to them — and earn the opportunity to travel for field trip experiences at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks.