My American Dream

There is an ancient African adage that states “If you wish to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones today”. As a first generation immigrant to the United States and reminiscent of countless other immigrants who have come before me, moving to a new country literally means starting your life all over again from scratch, but symbolically it signifies a rebirth of oneself and a chance to metamorphose into whatever new creature you aspire to be. Some of the challenges I faced included culture shock, language barriers, financial barriers, but the utmost significant one was the education barrier. I quickly realized that if I could bridge the education gap I would be able to overcome all the other barriers. For myself, having an education epitomized my assimilation into my new life by enabling me to chase my dreams and realize my unique American dream.

There is an old African adage that states “If you wish to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones today”. I am a first generation immigrant to the United States and like many other immigrants who have come before me, moving to a new country literally means starting your life all over again from scratch but symbolically it signifies a rebirth of oneself and a chance to metamorphose into whatever new creature you aspire to be. Some of the challenges I faced included culture shock, language barriers, financial barriers but the most significant one was the education barrier. I quickly realized that if I could bridge the education gap I would be able to overcome all the other barriers. For me having an education epitomized my assimilation into my new life by enabling me to chase my dreams and realize my unique American dream.

It is a well-known fact that the term “American Dream” first mentioned by James Trusslow Adams in 1931 (Wright 197) explains the model of an individual’s ideal existence, which is applied exclusively to the US – the country full of freedoms, possibilities, and opportunities. Nowadays the fame about the American dream reached all continents, and more and more people take the concept for granted dreaming about moving to America and spending the rest of their lives in a more favourable environment compared to their own. As many US citizens, they usually ignore the fact that hard work has always served as a background in the given concept (Warschauer) and look forward to gain all amenities of existence at once.

I chose nursing as my profession because nursing is promising. It is a field that will always be necessary. People will always need people to care for them when they cannot care for themselves. I believe that I can adequately provide this care.

I have never been so excited about my biggest dream that was about to turn into reality. Settling permanently in the United States was to become my life changing experience. Such an experience is worth living. It has been a great opportunity to start living my best. Coming to America where anything seems possible is a dream come true for certain reasons such as fulfilling a childish dream to study in America, revealing a chance to see the world, and building a road to success.

Friedrich Nietzche, a German philosopher quoted, “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” The most meaningful event in my life was when my twin daughters came into life. I am an immigrant that moved to this beautiful country when I was only thirteen years old teenager. Only one more family out of many that decide to come to this country hoping for better future and try to achieve the American Dream.

The nursing career was of interest to me because I like to help as many people as I can and make them feel better. It is also very exciting to me because there is always something new to learn and it never gets boring. Also the nursing field is not based on one level of care. There is a broad variety of care that one could go into. When I was little I would always tell my dad or anyone that asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up that I wanted to be a doctor. As I got older I realized that being a doctor had too much responsibility and they hardly spent any time with their families. With nurses they are still held responsible for a lot but are still able to spend time with family. I have a cousin that is a registered nurse in the

I’ve had challenges in ranges from peas to elephants throughout my lifetime, but the biggest challenge I’ve faced Thus far has been navigating and blending cultures. From Burmese kids who’ve spent years in refugee camps to Congolese kids who’ve fled civil wars, to the American homeboys who wear baseball caps backwards, to me a girl from the congo who lives with parents that view the world in strict and narrow terms,my world is made up people from all over the world with one objective in mind- realizing their American Dream, freedom of thought, speech and opportunity to be who they are without fear. Every day is a new adventure with endless possibilities for those who are open and brave. I’m open and I’m brave, but I secretly live in a world

The classic “American Dream” can be envisioned as a white picket fence, crisp lawn, and two young children playing about in front of a lightly hued colonial style home. Once the ideal of ultimate success within the United States, this life goal is now just an image on a page of a 1960’s chapter within a United States history textbook. Now, America’s strong-willed and influential Millennials have thoroughly and unapologetically redefined the “American Dream”.

Growing up in a family full of healthcare providers, I told myself growing up that I would stir away from such profession. As a child, I have always wanted to be a teacher “when I grew up”. At a young age, my family and I migrated from the islands of the Philippines to the United States of America. When we got here, my big family lived in a small apartment with my grandparents. Life has changed from living a very comfortable lifestyle to my parents having to work hours on end to chase the American dream. For all of my life, I have never felt so separated from my parents. However, I understood that they were working hard for the family. Luckily, I had very caring and loving grandparents who took on the role of our guardians and caregivers.

In 2004, my family emigrated to America from Pakistan. Our lives in Pakistan were better than most. We lived in a huge condo and my father owned a plant nursery which earned him enough money to support us. However, my parents wanted their kids to have a better future and become something great one day. This wasn’t really possible in Pakistan; the education system wasn’t great and it wasn’t safe either. Because of this, we emigrated to America so my siblings and I could achieve the American dream through proper education. Little did I know that my life would drastically change.

Dreams themselves come in all shapes, sizes, and depths. They can range from simple primal desires to complex demands for morality and justice. In every corner in our behemoth of a nation, dreams can be found. Thanks to you, many can safely express their viewpoints on such ideas without fear of being told they're speaking out of place. The story of your American Dream lives on in today's youth as an inspiring tale of overcoming the injustices of the world we live in. My dream resembles yours in this way.

As someone who was born at the tail-end of the millennial period, 1997, I can definitely say that I am experiencing this new American Dream for myself. Owning a home is definitely a part of the American Dream that has remained intact for as long as the country has been standing. However, for a millennial there is a new and added depth to the Dream. Millennials have been accused of many things, killing the diamond industry, killing the department store industry, and for being unwilling to enter the housing market. While the dream of owning a home is indeed alive and well among millennials, it is something that feels far beyond reach for the majority of us.

My definition of an American dream is simply an idea that every US citizen has an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. As the American dream is simply something that proclaims, “All mean are created equal” and those they are “endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights” including life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Everyone has a purpose in like and everyone has a dream in life whether it’s to be a doctor, office worker, restaurant (any type of business owner).

I chose nursing as my major for three reasons that are important to me. I have always been interested in the medical field, my own medical history plays a factor in my choice, and I love children.