When we think of the American Dream, we tend to picture a beautiful home and family – a sense of happiness and bliss. It’s something I think we have been well aware since we were kids and has almost become an expectation of what our lives should look like or, as it’s commonly put, a dream life anyone would love to live.
Americans aren’t the only ones who yearn for this perfect life. People from all over the world hear stories of this wonderful place with amazing opportunities where you can raise a family and live comfortably. Many even leave their whole lives behind to seek this American Dream. This is the immigrant experience.
I am a first generation American – meaning my entire family before me were not born here. They all immigrated from El Salvador. With much privilege and gratitude, I can say my mom did come here legally and is a United States citizen but that was not the case for many other immigrants. It was, and still is, extremely difficult to even be eligible for legal residency in the U.S coming from a Latin country, which is why many do not do it the legal way. The American Dream was something that used to be accomplishable but as years go by it gets harder and harder, especially for Hispanic immigrants.
Latinos work hard every day – taking care of your children, fixing your roofs, picking your favorite fruits, filling in those jobs that no one seems to want, paying taxes, and yet get silence instead of recognition; cruelty instead of gratitude.
As of January 2025, the Trump Administration reported 350,000 deportations since Trump has stepped into office – 200,000 of those being ICE deportations. Families are being ripped apart, communities are being attacked, and no mercy is being shown for the people who have given this country everything, yet get treated like nothing.
No matter what political party you’re a part of, if you consider yourself a decent human being, I hope you can recognize the cruelty that is occurring in this country. I recently had a conversation with a friend about how ICE was all over my community. They were at our grocery stores, our small family-owned businesses, people’s homes, even by our schools on the first day. As I tell her these things her face is visibly in shock, she didn’t believe the things I was saying. She even said she had seen these things happening on the news but did not think they were going on around her. Look at your neighboring Hispanic communities and see for yourself the cruel things that are happening.
Absolutely no one should be scared to go to work, no one should be scared to go grocery shopping, no child should be scared to go to school in fear of getting taken away themselves or losing a parent or loved one.
If you are an immigrant yourself, know you have rights. Do your research, seek legal help if possible, and educate those around you of the cruelties happening all over our nation. All this being said, I now leave you with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “l say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'”