"The Costs of Getting Ahead"

 

            When it comes to following the American Dream, is it all really worth it? First off, we take advantage for what we have in America. Secondly, many immigrant families sacrifice so much to get where we are. Finally, those immigrant families often change in the process of chasing the American Dream (and not always in good ways).

               First off, we have so much in America: citizenship (being born in America) at our hands and not having to work for it, good education, and opportunity in every sense of the word. In America we can be whoever we want, whatever we want, and (generally speaking) whenever we want to be those things! How amazing is that?

               Many people around the world do not have those things, thus it is important for us to be sensitive to others, and educated about their experiences….especially the experiences of immigrants. Immigrating from one country to another sounds so difficult it makes my head spin, but what they actually go through is even worse than imagined.  

In regards to undocumented Mexican immigrants in America, many have gone through some serious trials and stressors. To begin, lets first look at what family life looks like in Mexico.

Dad might work in the family business, using skills he already knows. Mom might stay home with the kids and do all the cooking, cleaning, mothering, and other stay-at-home motherly duties.
(In a book I recently read, one Mexican immigrant said something of the sort that in Mexico, “Dinner was [always] ready.”) The couple might live close to other family members like aunts, uncles, cousins, Grandma and Grandpa, and so forth.

Dad and mom might want to chase the American Dream because you might be able to have things in America that you can’t have in Mexico (things like a car). They also might want to have a better opportunity for their kids to receive a better education, or even learn the English language. So it’s time to set off for America.

Usually, the dad goes first. They anticipate him to be gone for six months, but it actually turns out being three years. While Dad is in America, his cost of living goes up and he has to be extra frugal to send money back to the family in hopes that eventually they will be able to join him. In the meantime, family dynamics change.

Without a father figure in the home, the sons might have to step up, and the mother might have to take place as the person in charge. They mom might have to go to work to support the family in Mexico while they save money to cross the boarder eventually. Thus, Mom is working so she doesn’t have time to be a mother. Her kids would probably then start acting out without a parental figure in the home.

Eventually, it’s time for all of them to head to America. So they do, but by then the family dynamics have changed so much that Mom and Dad are no longer close to each other. The family might be separated, or there might be some resentment towards Dad for leaving the family for so long. Not to mention that the kids miss their family back in Mexico.

In the book I mentioned previously, many adolescents of immigrant families wished they were closer to their aunts, uncles, and other family members rather than be in America chasing the American Dream. Many of them were lonely.

As we see, there are many problems that arise in immigration. Is it worth it? In some ways I say yes! It’s worth it because there are many chances for the gospel here, their children really can get ahead, and they would be able to have more things here! But in other ways I say it’s not worth it because of the stress (and separation) on the family. If the fundamental unit of society is the family, I recommend protecting that very precious unit.