Personal Narrative: What Creates The American Identity

For many decades the history of the United States and immigration has always been a very talked about topic of debate. Many Americans did not like the collision that immigrants would have upon the native-born American people, while others welcomed the flow of people as adding to America’s multiculturalism of difference. According to Immigration: Good or Bad for America (2016), a large amount of immigrants try to enter the U.S. borders without proper documentation, in this manner being labeled as illegal immigrants. In addition, the United States unusual position as a nation of immigrants is being questioned by

Almost 100% of Americans are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. No matter where immigrants came from or what year they arrived, they all had the same hope: a hope for a better tomorrow. For centuries, The United States of America has been a haven for the persecuted and the weary, but also for people who were looking for a shining new beginning, since its founding centuries ago. Moreover, since America’s founding, it has been an intermingling of different peoples from different backgrounds. In fact, the roots of our great nation are of hundreds of different ethnic backgrounds.

Studying in a foreign country is an interesting experience of an individual lifetime. One tends to learn a number of things relating to ways of life in a foreign land. Social, political and economic values and aspects are usually different from one region to another. Therefore, through studying abroad one is able to learn different issues about another society such as gender and sexuality issues, social class and race/ethnicity issues. Having come from a developing country studying in the U.S.A has been a great experience personally. This paper will attempt to provide a reflection of my personal experience on studying in the U.S by comparing the history of Angola and the U.S.

In the United States, the cliché of a nation of immigrants is often invoked. Indeed, very few Americans can trace their ancestry to what is now the United States, and the origins of its immigrants have changed many times in American history. Despite the identity of an immigrant nation, changes in the origins of immigrants have often been met with resistance. What began with white, western European settlers fleeing religious persecution morphed into a multicultural nation as immigrants from countries across the globe came to the U.S. in increasing numbers. Like the colonial immigrants before them, these new immigrants sailed to the Americas to gain freedom, flee poverty and

America as we know it today has been shaped by immigrants. It can be argued that America shapes immigrants as well. It is a nation that people, nationalist or foreign-born, desire to assimilate partially or fully into. According to a New York University professor, “Immigration, however, played a key role not only in making America’s development possible but also in shaping the basic nature of the society” (Diner, p. 2). It is a nation built on this idea of the “American dream” which varies depending on the person. However, it is something that holds steadily in an immigrant’s mind that is possible to achieve. America’s past, present and certainly future will be formed by immigrants, and once they get here America will coincidentally form their being as well.

“We are nation of immigrants. Some came here willingly, some unwillingly. Nonetheless, we are immigrants, or the descendants of immigrants, one, and all. Even the natives came from somewhere else, originally. All of the people who come to this country come for freedom, or for some product of that extraordinary, illusory condition. That is what we offer here—freedom and opportunity in a land of relative plenty.” (Middletown Journal 2005)

When most people think about immigration to the United States, they think of the U.S. as being the “land of opportunity,” where they will be able to make all of their dreams come true. For some people, immigration made their lives richer and more fulfilled. This however, was not always the case. A place that is supposed to be a “Golden Land” (Marcus 116) did not always welcome people with open arms. Even after people became legal citizens of the United States, often times the natural born Americans did not treat the immigrants as equals but rather as outsiders who were beneath them in some way. In some situations, people’s lives were made worse by coming to the “land of opportunity.” Often times people were living no better than they

The United States of America was founded on a set of rights that all people are created equal, “whether European, Native American, or African American, and that these people have fundamental rights, such as liberty, free speech, freedom of religion, due process of law, and freedom of assembly” (Creating the United States). Our immigrant ancestors built a foundation for our nation and truly exemplified the American dream through sacrifice and an unstoppable work ethic. Each year millions of people come to the United States looking for a better way of life, opportunity, and freedom. From 1892 to 1954, 12 million immigrants were processed through Ellis Island and granted legal citizenship (Immigration Stories). Today, the process

Throughout the history, immigration and the United States are inextricably linked. The United States has promulgated many immigration legislations in the past either to restrict or support the immigration. Immigration is still going on and it is a debatable issue even today. In the interview, Chang-rae Lee says, “I’m interested in people who find themselves in places, either of their choosing or not, and who are forced to decide how best to live there. That feeling of both citizenship and exile, of always being an expatriate-with all the attendant problems and complications and delight”(Garner 2). Chang-rae Lee exposes the inner and outer conflicts the immigrants go through in the United States with

“My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too.” This quote, spoken by Barack Obama in 2014, is about the topic of the immigration system. Immigrants are what make up America, and all that come here are faced with great difficulty. They can face discrimination, struggles getting on their feet, and strive for the American Dream. The American Dream is a belief that everyone will have equal opportunities to succeed and get a better life. This is found in the hearts of almost all immigrants, no matter where they come from. This had led to waves of people flooding into the United States. The most notable wave that has occurred was in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. During this time, thousands of Lithuanians flooded through Ellis Island into America; their change from their lives in Lithuania, to their work experience and education, their lives in America had overall left a positive impact on society.

On April 3rd, 2017, I called my neighbor, Frank, to talk about the story of his family’s immigration. Frank had ancestors who moved to the United States from Germany more than 100 years ago that kept a journal that has been with his family ever since it was recorded. He told me that a long time ago, George and Jean, both residents of Germany, fell in love and got married to each other. After spending some time together in Germany, they decided that they were going to immigrate to the United States. “Living in the United States to them meant all that freedom implied. A land where they found a home where they could raise their children in a land of the free and the brave.”

Upon entry to the United States immigrants from all around the world are met with the harsh stereotypes that not only many Americans share but also the rest of the world. Following an immigrant 's journey into the United States we begin with the idea of how they made it in in the first place. The most common notion, that is falsely held is: they are lawless, alien people crossing country lines without proper

The United States represent a freedom and new beginnings to people who seek refuge from around the world. Although there are limitations and rules to who can or cannot receive citizenship, many undocumented individuals seek the same equality as native born citizens. Yet, undocumented individuals are robbed of these opportunities as families are split and deported out the United States. I have strong for those who seek citizenship, because many of these individuals worked hard to provide for their families and seek better lives for their children. Time has a key factor in the topic of citizenship, as our view on citizenship changes allowing for different changes.

Regardless of what your personal beliefs are on the matter, the topic of illegal immigration has exploded into the spotlight with the upcoming 2016 election. The best estimate at this point, although there are no exact figures, states that there are nearly 12 million people living illegally in the United States. Opinions are as diverse as America’s population, ranging from tighter border security and the criminalization of anyone caught entering the country illegally to opening the borders and issuing invitations. What people from both sides of the argument can agree on is that the process of immigration into this country is broken and in dire need of a reboot. This essay will explore what it means to be an immigrant, the shortcomings of

As an immigrant myself, I know the struggles, hardship, and the difficulties that come with being accepted to the United States, as well as the struggles with becoming a citizen. The many barriers and the conflict that my family and I had to endure were very exhausting. For example, the many denials, then anticipation but finding out we weren’t accepted. Dealing with the rejection was especially hard for us. However, that didn't stop us; we knew that there will always be a chance as long as we kept on trying. The wait was well worth it because I can honestly say that my life has changed for the better. Even though I was too young back then to really understand the situation, I could still realize that there was something wrong every time I