Family Living In America

Poverty. Unemployment. Potential foreclosure. Words all too familiar to Americans everywhere. The PBS Frontline documentary, Two American Families, is the heartbreaking, yet hopeful look at the struggles of two Milwaukee families, the Neumanns and the Stanleys, over roughly two decades, 1991 to 2012. While ideally the concept of meritocracy would indicate the efforts of these hard working families should influence their social standing, the reality of social stratification remains, with their wealth, power, and prestige, or lack thereof, used to cement their place, and primarily that of their children, in society.

El cambio es algo bueno. That means change is a good thing and I have a proposal that involves change for families. I believe that Mexican families deserve a shot to live in America, even if they are illegal immigrants. The plan involves a way where a United States’ family and a family from Mexico can both benefit from each other. The three ways that a U.S. family and a Mexican family can benefit from each other are: sharing different foods, learning new languages, and learning new life skills. While these exchanges are going, the Mexican family earns free citizenship as well. This is a government funded program. The families will have to pay for their own food and housing, but the housing is supplied by the government for a low price. The housing fee pays for a limited, but reasonable, amount of water and electricity.

Another symbolic image in this mural is the bald eagle. In America, it is also a way of displaying freedom because that is the emblem of our nation. The last main symbol in this mural is the Native American woman because Native Americans were here in the land we call as the United States. They were nomads who traveled throughout the country and even beyond the country since there were no border or a sign displaying if they can pass or not. They were just free to go anywhere with no problem at all. Overall the whole message of this powerful mural is that migrating is natural for the reason that animals and human beings have been migrating since the beginning of time. In other words, they had freedom to migrate from place to place. This message can be connected towards the Latino community because many of them come to America to start a new life where they can have opportunities for themselves and their family. But coming to America, is not allowed without having papers since it is illegal and what Levi Ponce is saying in his mural is that they should come without having a problem because they just want their life change for the

There’s an old saying that goes, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present”, by Alice Morse Earle. The world has become a place taken for granted. Humans are beginning to wish they could live in the past, while others just want to skip over to the future but what ever happened to living right now? Or living in the moment? In the story, “The American Family”, by Stephanie Coontz, she discusses why so many individuals believe American families are facing worse issues now than in the past. She discusses how in the previous years, it was far worse and explains why those people are wrong to assume they are facing worse problems now. In addition, Robert Kuttner and his text, “The politics of family”, supports Coontz’ argument about the dilemmas facing the turn-of-the-century American families and gives the resolutions to those problems; such as talking out problems, women having the right to walk out of unsatisfactory marriages, and lastly, the emancipation for women.

When Dumas and her family moved to America for a short time, Americans were intrigued. They were asked many questions, but not so much about their culture. “They wanted to know about more important things, such as camels. How many did we own back home? What did we feed them? Was it a bumpy ride?” (Dumas 90). She admitted that she had never seen a camel because camels did not live where she had come from. Although, these questions Dumas was asked arose vivid questions herself.

In the documentary, American Experience: A Family Gathering, directed by Lise Yasui and Ann Tegnell, explores three generations of the Yasui family immigration to Oregon in the early 1900s, and through their imprisonment in internment camps during World War Two as Japanese-Americans. I found this documentary heart-warming, eye-opening and emotional to what the Japanese immigrants had to deal with when immigrating to the United States and different insights to what went through their minds before, during and after World War Two. From watching the documentary, I can’t even fathom how a civil and nothing but perfect Japanese family like the Yasui family, could immigrate to the United States, establish themselves with work, a home and the start a family, could be seen as enemies of the country and lose everything for just looking or sounding Japanese. I mean, when I was growing up and I read books about Pearl Harbor or looked at pictures, videos and the film about Pearl Harbor, I right away got mad and emotional about those attacks and got a sense of anger from those attacks and found myself thinking that the Japanese deserved what they got and brought it upon themselves, which is harsh. Now, I was just a young child and to get those feelings years later, should show to a degree on how easy it was for Americans to be upset, angered and thought of the Japanese-Americans as evil people at the time. The Pearl Harbor attacks were one of the hardest attacks on U.S. soil from a

Origins of a family have meaning and history. By keeping track of family relations also known as a family tree it can allow us to keep records of the past. The Edwards family tree shows great record from the early 1700 's to the mid 1800 's. This family tree demonstrates when a person was baptized; when they got married; and when they passed away. The Edwards family chart show the different relations of marriages and fertility rate from today 's society. From the chart we can determine that the Edwards family show a different demography compared to todays society. This is because life expectancy was shorter; families were larger; and finally marriages were happening at a young age.

Chavez who born in March 31, 1927 in Yuma, Arizona, in a Mexican-American family of six children, had always a huge sense of connection with the land and the people who work hard of build the life by farming the land. His family owned a grocery store and a ranch, but their land was lost during the Great Depression of 1930s, which was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century. During that time his family 's home was taken away after his father had agreed to clear eighty acres of land in exchange for the deed to the house, an agreement which was subsequently broken. Later, when Chavez 's father attempted to purchase the house, he could not pay the interest on the loan and the house was sold back to

Ha and the refugees that are immigrating to the U.S. where they are all hoping to flee from the war back home in Vietnam, the refugees do not know that they will encounter many challenges such as discrimination and bullying along the way to the american dream.Ha is being bullied at school and she claims that, “They pulled my arm hair, they threw rocks at me, they promised to stomp on my chest.”Lai, (151).Furthermore this explains how Ha is being bullied because she is different from the other children in the U.S. the author uses the example that they threw rocks at me to explain what they did to her. Furthermore the pilgrims had to go through a lot, “They had fled to America because of religious persecution in their homeland”Gevert (2). This

One image in particular is of a family of 6 standing outside next to their car. While taking the photo I heard the wind blowing from the southern plains and the rumble of the car engine. I remember the smell of dust, sweat, and gasoline from the many passing families in the area. While taking it, I felt very tired and dirty thinking of what these families had been going through. Before I left after talking to the family I remember hearing one young boy say “ Daddy, how much longer do we have to drive before we can eat” and hearing those words just broke my heart. Families starving and traveling, trying to create a better future for their children.This family left their home due to a terrible drought in the 1930s, which well over 500,000 people fled the Southern Plains and of that over 200,000 were drawn to California because of the cotton crop that promised jobs in the

Most of my family comes from Mexico and only recently, about 25 years ago, have they decided to come to America. The migration to a different country has changed the religious views of many of my family members in various ways. My family members never expected that this move would change their religious views.

The families in America are steadily changing. While they remain our most valued and consistent source of strength and comfort, some families are becoming increasingly unstructured. In the past, the typical family consists of a working father, a stay at home mother and, of course, well-rounded children. Today, less than 20 percent of American families fit nicely into this cookie cutter image. American households have never been more diverse. Natalie Angier takes stock of the changing definition of family in an article for the New York Times.

My family is one of immigrants from vietnam,and we came to U.S.A about 10 years ago. I'm living with my mom, 2 younger brother and 2 younger sister, and we all speak vietnamese. The first year at the new country was so hard for me and my family because everything was new: new language, new tradition, new laws,new foods and new world. After 10 years, we almost adapt ourselves to American life, but we still keep vietnamese tradition in our mind.

The translation of this final proverb is “trouble shared is trouble halved--joy shared is joy doubled.” As in many German households, family is considered the place of mutual support and strength in times of crisis (Winawer & Wetzel, 1996). In addition to German households, I discovered this proverb deeply resonates with my beliefs. Personally, I believe having a family is having those to help alleviate any type of trouble or sorrow and to celebrate joy when it is shared. When speaking with my grandparents, they felt this proverb also aligns with their perceived purpose of family, believing that family is the foundation to lean on through celebrating and mourning.

The unjust imagery used is the rows of graves- the soldiers dying for their country for no actual reason, the oil pumps burning is a symbol of the American economy that is getting worse by the day, and then the White House in the background- it almost seems like the artist deliberately placed it behind everything, it seems to be hiding, it can also depict the fact that the government is hiding important information from the people. The White House, who should protect all rights, are actually causing war and death through their fight and claim to fame for sole ownership of oil.