I Believe in the American Dream

988 Words4 Pages
I believe in the American Dream. That anyone has the opportunity to achieve greatness regardless of race, background, or even education. Not only are there different opinions on what the American Dream is but many doubt as to whether the possibility of this dream still exists. Maya Lin a Chinese – American Architect said “ To me, the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling. To be able to do what you want to do is incredible freedom.” Coming from the Dominican Republic and seeing the hardships that people go through to get to the U.S. just for the opportunity reiterates my belief. People from the Dominican Republic as in other less developed countries risk their lives just to get what we often take for granted. Although I was very young when my family moved to the United States I still remember the great effort set forth to get us here. It began with my aunt moving to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in the 1960's. Like many, she left the country searching for a way to help her family. She was able to accomplish this for well over twenty years. Then, in the early 1990's, an unfortunate fire removed the little stability my mother had accomplished. My aunt’s help no longer sufficed, thus catalyzing the need for us to seek out U.S. Residency. Moving to New York was a major change but gave us what distance runners call “second wind”. It was definitely not an easy transition but we no longer had the constant uncertainty of what tomorrow would bring. It is invigorating to reflect on how we went from not knowing when our next meal would be, to the memory of my mother opening the door to our first home, and my older brother graduating from medical school. It has been amazing to witness my family achieve their goals as it serves as a reminder that the sky is the limit. I may have yet to achieve my personal goals but I know that the American Dream
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