Is America Exceptional?: A Look into the Lives of Immigrants

What America Has to Offer

When an average American student is asked about his/her thoughts on school and education in the States, the response is usually “eh, it’s okay,” “I wish we could choose our own classes,” or “there is not enough freedom.” But among the native American students who were given the privilege of receiving an American education from birth, there are international students, students whose families immigrated to the United States, envisioning the same dreams as the ones who sailed the Atlantic two hundred years ago and saw the Statue of Liberty calling out the hopes of freedom and success.

           So why is there a massive influx of immigrants, predominantly students, to the United States of America? Could this contradiction between the American student’s answer and the hopes of international students be a difference between dream and reality?

           Most people come to the United States for education and, simply, for a better life. At the expense of becoming the minority of a foreign country and taking on low-income jobs, people from all over the world make sacrifices in order to start a new life in America. Students are often separated from their families to join other students in costly boarding schools, and for families that cannot afford the extravagant education for their children, the entire family makes a bold decision to move and start anew.

           The great immigration wave is entrenched in the idea that America is different. It is different in what it can offer, whether that is education, business, or pursuit of the arts. Interestingly, many prestigious schools are filled with Chinese, Indian, and Korean students, alongside American students. Professional jobs based on education and expertise are comparatively more respected in the U.S. than those in the home countries of the immigrants. That is the American dream: the land of America promises a bright future, better jobs, interactions with intellectuals on a global-scale, and readily available education system and facilities.

           However, is the supposed American dream true?

            In some ways, yes. Compared to other European and Asian countries, America is more open in general. Jeong Hang-Hwa, mother of two kids, immigrated to the United States in 2004. She had moved mainly for the education, but also for her son who is diagnosed with ADHD.  “I admired the American education system,” she said firmly, “which was unlike the competition-oriented system in Korea that put too much stress on me and my kids. As for my son, teachers in Korea always used to scold him for his impulsive behavior. But when I came to America, his teacher and counselors created a special committee solely focused on creating a new system of learning for students like my son. I was deeply moved.” In another case, Korean Congresswoman, Mrs. Na, sent her son diagnosed with cerebral palsy to the States. In Korea, she realized her handicapped son was a victim to humiliation and discrimination, so she sent her son where she knew he would be looked upon as different, but not inferior. In America, she knew his son could live in a more welcoming environment.

Mr. Ahn (52), was attracted to a different aspect of America—its values and emphasis on pursuit of happiness. Mr. Ahn was a professor at an engineering school in his home country who eventually abandoned his comfortable life to start a small business in the States. He was disappointed in the way financial success in Asia was only guaranteed to those who worked in the big industries, such as Samsung and LG. He had a desire to pursue a life in America where creativity was valued.

           Yet the American dream does not guarantee success for everybody. Highly educated or people from the upper/middle-class might have a greater shot at the fulfillment of their dreams, but for the lower class, success does not come free. Unemployment and adults working 3-D jobs (dirty, dangerous, demeaning) is often the scenario for the lower class immigrant families. In reality, America’s promises could just be a on the other side of a glass window for some people, visible but unattainable.