We the People of the United States of America…
The British sent optimistic settlers and prospective entrepreneurs to the 13 colonies during the 17th Century. The royal colonies were created in order to generate wealth through labor and trade and to bring power to the British Crown, but the people who were willing to make the arduous and potentially fatal journey were all looking for the same thing, a second chance.
America is not just built by immigrants seeking refuge from their war-dominated homes, as the very first settlers were immigrants. The New World was perceived as a sanctuary for the poor and unfortunate. In fact, that very concept is why Europeans flooded into North America in the first place.
When more and more people were rising through the social ranks, the American Dream developed. The idea behind the Dream is “that every person has the freedom and opportunity to succeed and attain a better life,” as noted by James Truslow Adams, who coined the term “American Dream” in his book Epic of America. Some people believed that hard work would lead to success, while others relied on connections in order to get ahead.
The Gold Rush reenergized many Americans’ desire for fame and wealth. Forty-niners from various ethnic backgrounds rushed to the mines in California to dig up precious gold nuggets. Those meager nuggets were the key to social ascension. It was estimated that they found about $75 billion worth of gold (adjusted for inflation) during that time.
Things took a turn during the Great Depression. Americans, especially new immigrants at the time, began to grow disillusioned with the great ‘American Dream.’ There was no money to use to lead the quintessential white-picket-fence life. Workers who had already established themselves in their respective job market lost their jobs, and it was even harder for immigrants to find employment.
Deflation rates hit a record low at 10%, which caused a decrease in consumer spending and caused interest rates to skyrocket. The ingredients for disaster culminated and caused an almost apocalyptic event. Needless to say, trust in the American system hit rock bottom.
About thirty years after the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement officially kicked off. The Civil Rights Movement was an eye-opening social and political movement that encouraged desegregation, helping many minorities. The movement advocated for cultural acceptance rather than cultural assimilation into American values. For former enslaved individuals or descendants of slaves, the ‘American Dream’ wasn’t about coming to America for better opportunities (as they couldn’t undo their past); it was about changing American values to create a better world.
Immigrants, new and old, couldn’t rely on a stroke of luck anymore. Many were determined that hard work could secure a prosperous future. The first ingredient towards success was education.
Some legislators sought to reduce the education gap perpetuated by citizenship status. Most notably, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which was established in June of 2012, provided temporary protection for immigrant children from deportation, and allowed them to legally enter the workforce, and seek an education in America.
However, the nickname “Dreamers” turned into a derogatory term for immigrant children in the education system, coined by people who correlated immigrants with poor academic performance. As of January 2025, the DACA program was ruled illegal in 2021 (and remains so, despite the Biden administration’s appeal to revive the program afterwards) and no longer accepts new applicants, but existing applications can be renewed. The new ruling shows that current American leadership is unwilling to accept children in need of an education and shelter, amongst other basic rights.
Clearly, a substantial demographic of people living in the United States who are not natural born citizens are at a distinct economic and social disadvantage. Students who are not prepared to enter the competitive workforce are not able to easily pursue higher education. In many developed countries, employers will not hire people without a high school or bachelor degree. It has become increasingly more difficult for individuals born in a lower social class to simply take a step on the ladder.
Children of immigrant parents work hard to get into competitive high schools and colleges in an effort to acquire the status and credibility of, or even greater than, their peers. In New York, specifically, middle school students have the opportunity to apply to elite high schools, such as Bronx Science and Stuyvesant, that send more students to elite colleges on average than other New York public schools. They simply need to take the Specialized High School Standardized Admissions Test and score at or above the cutoff score, which changes slightly every year.
My brother Anthony Zhou, a Bronx Science graduate from the Class of 2016, shared anecdotes with me from his experiences with his college classmates. Anthony mentioned how his friend could simply call his father for a high level position at his father’s company, and the job was his. Anthony, however, spent the entirety of his four years at the University of Michigan to network and build relationships with his professors, mentors, job executives, and other high status individuals in the financial sector. Despite being at a disadvantage, coming from an immigrant family, Anthony has prevailed and is flourishing as a private debt associate.
Growing up nine years younger than my brother, I watched his adult life unfold as I emerged out of my childhood years. The expectation for me was nothing less than excellence. I was expected to get into Bronx Science on my own for one sole reason: to lead a better life than my parents. My brother did just that, and so did thousands of others before him who attended Bronx Science. Middle school students, just shy of 14 years old, were expected to perform well on the Specialized High School Standardized Test (SHSAT). Their futures were in their hands as mere pre-teens.
The pressure? Intense. But the results? Immensely rewarding.
An anonymous student at the Bronx High School of Science is the daughter of a Serbian immigrant family. She said, “The experience and connections [at Bronx Science] will definitely provide an advantage when applying to jobs and colleges.” Two of her cousins also attended Bronx Science and they are both committed to Top 20 colleges.
However, the sophomore added, “Still, the title doesn’t guarantee success.”
There are plenty of specialized high school students who don’t achieve their definition of success or make below the median salary for their occupation. Others may find getting into competitive universities to be tremendously difficult. So, contrary to popular belief, the sophomore is right. There is no recipe for success, even for a student graduating from a specialized high school.
But does that mean the American Dream is dead?
Not necessarily. It has simply changed.
The Dream is the idea that anyone can succeed in America. As more people try to climb the social ladder, the market has become increasingly competitive. The opportunities exist. It’s just harder to land those opportunities. Furthermore, any citizen can pursue the Dream and potentially succeed.
Everyone is looking for the next best thing. International influences have an effect on the American market. Immigrants and first generation students are the key holders to American prosperity because they introduce and facilitate the growth of new ideas.
Immigrants are a huge proponent of U.S. economic growth and driver of the workforce. GDP is one of the indicators of a nation’s prosperity. Immigrants have not only increased productivity in the workplace but also have increased investments, consumer spending, and quantity of exports. In fact, it has been estimated that immigrants generate “at least $2 trillion in economic activity” yearly. It can’t be denied that immigrants’ presence have impacted America’s culture and economy in a plethora of ways. Their efforts cannot go unnoticed and their drive for success should be serviced.
It is inaccurate and insensitive to label immigrants as criminals. Such a stereotype stigmatizes minority groups and negatively skews society’s perception of them in the workforce, in school, in social settings, and hurts the diverse community we are a part of.
The idea of the American Dream evolved to conform to the hopes and dreams of new immigrants, people of color, and the unprivileged. Immigrants depend on America’s resources, but America depends on them too.
The idea of the American Dream evolved to conform to the hopes and dreams of new immigrants, people of color, and the unprivileged. Immigrants depend on America’s resources, but America depends on them too.