references, citations

References:

Montgomery, Tommie Sue. Revolution in El Salvador. 2^nd Ed. United States, Colorado, 1995.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2033.htm

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Salvador

http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Pa-Sp/Salvadoran-Americans.html

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/border_security/border_patrol/usbp_statistics/25_10_app_stats.ctt/25_11_app_stats.pdf

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/fewer-illegal-immigrants-crossing-southwest-border/

http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2012/03/15-immigrant-workers

http://www.forbes.com/sites/augustturak/2012/07/02/is-the-american-dream-dead-the-four-inconvenient-truths-behind-income-inequality/

opinions or conclusions, and some statistics- Dina G

Gonzalez 1

Dina Gonzalez

English 101

Ms. Augustine

Some facts about the Hispanics views of the American Dream

·        All agree on one thing – The American dream is individual, it means different things for everybody. Opinions are mostly influenced by age of arrival.

o       If individuals came at very young ages, they were mostly concerned about reuniting with their families.

o       If individuals came as teenagers (my case), I knew life would be better. A new world, another language, an easier life, a simpler life

o       If individuals came as adults, they have one goal. Help the families left behind financially. Means more food on the table, more money to spend on the basic things like shoes, clothes, education. The goal is to make life in a third world country less complicated.

·        All have in mind one thing – work, work, and work

·        All have one purpose – attain economic stability

·        All share the same goal – provide for their children or other family members

·        All have the same views about the American dream – The land of opportunities, the land of Freedom

·        All knew that coming here meant to work in at least one of  the following industries:

o       Food industry – bus boys, dish washers, waiters, cashiers

o       Agriculture – picking strawberries, tomatoes,

o       Accommodation – hotel cleaning crew, janitors, cooks

o       Manufacturing – sewing, assembling lines

o       Private households – house maids, cleaning houses, babysitters, home aides (sick persons)

o       Construction – construction labor, painters, carpenters, plumbers, electricians

Most have adapted to the culture and diversity. For the ones living here, going back to their countries is not a choice. They valued all the opportunities given. They have a feeling of accomplishment because of the things they have obtained. The possibilities of making it better in the US are a lot better if comparing with their country.

An ABC article declares the following: “The new numbers show that 340,252 people were detained at the border in last fiscal year. That number represents a 58 percent decline since 2008, and a significant drop from the 1.6 million caught in 2000”

“Immigration experts say such declines likely result from a combination of the struggling U.S. economy and increased border enforcement, beginning under the Bush Administration and continuing under President Obama”

Personally I agree with the article, but that it also proves that people are still taking a chance and risks. They’ll keep trying to make here somehow, someway, someday.