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Oppression In The American Dream

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For centuries, The American Dream has been widely spoken of. America has been portrayed as a land to create a new life, a life in which democracy and equal opportunity thrive; and the promise of wealth and freedom has been given. To this day, this entices to countries that are poverty stricken, war-torn, or countries with oppressive governmental systems. In the nineties, a man named Joao Daniel De Roias Sousa was well aware of the American Dream. Mr. Sousa was born into an impoverished family; the promise of wealth and sustainable employment opportunities was incredibly tempting. He gave up his life as a farmer and came to America with his wife and three children. However, upon arrival, Mr. Sousa and his family found that the American Dream they had been promised was, in fact, a nightmare. This story is almost identical to another Portuguese immigrant by the name of Charles Reis Felix. His struggle, while similar, took place in vastly different time. While reading about the Geless Family in City of Orphans by Avi, the immigrant struggle in America is explained even more. The similarities between these three families become increasingly striking, despite the difference in time era. Despite occurring in three different epochs, the parallels between these stories show that immigrants in the past and in the present continue to experience similar prejudices and stigmas. Sadly, the most apparent similarity lays within the oppression that immigrants face. Charles Reis Felix is a
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