AP Lang 4.3.11 Practice
Few ideals have shaped the world’s perception of America like the belief that anyone can
rise through ambition and effort. This ideal, known as the American Dream, is built on the
foundation of freedom, opportunity, and self-determination. In the 19th and early 20th centuries,
this dream became a magnet for immigrants. Many fled poverty, war, and oppression, seeking for
a better life for themselves and for their families. Policies like the Homestead act and promises
of jobs in industrial centers painted America a land of boundless opportunity. For millions, the
dream of economic mobility—the ability to improve your financial situation and achieve higher
economic status—outweighed the challenges of starting over in a new and unfamiliar land.
But today, this dream feels less like a beacon of hope and more like a fading mirage. Language
barriers, legal restrictions, and systemic discrimination significantly hinder immigrants’ ability to
achieve economic mobility, making the American Dream unattainable in modern-day America.
Let’s begin with two critical factors: language barriers and legal challenges. Language
barriers hinder economic advancement, and these limitations become especially dire during
crises like the pandemic. As Martohardjono of the National Center for Law and Economic
Justice explains, “‘Immigrants and people of color are among the groups that bear the brunt of
the mortality crisis and disproportionately work as essential workers most at risk. [...] workers
with limited English proficiency haven’t been able to access this lifeline of support because the
Department of Labor refuses to provide multilingual access. These language access gaps have
continued-denying countless eligible LEP workers UI benefits essential to staving off poverty
and hunger.’” (Martohardjono 22). Legal restrictions compound these challenges. Undocumented
immigrants lack the ability to secure stable employment, access benefits, and pursue long-term
, economic advancement, trapping many in a cycle of poverty. Oakford and Lynch explain that
granting legal status and citizenship to immigrants could to an 25.1% increase in their wages
within 5 years, highlighting the benefits of legal immigration (Oakford and Lynch 13).Yet, the
Pew Research Center shows that nearly a quarter of the U.S. foreign population is remains
unauthorized (Moslimani and Passel 24). Together, these challenges create significant obstacles
that prevent immigrants from fully participating in the economic opportunities that are key to
achieving the American Dream.
Some argue that immigrants can overcome these obstacles through hard work and
perseverance. But what they fail to realize is that success is not universal, and poverty leaves
many immigrant families in the same low income cycle because of systemic discrimination.
Martohardjono explains the harsh reality “ [...] many of those LEP workers who did not find
community and legal organization assistance, [...], were denied benefits, turned to food banks,
resorted to homeless shelters, and went hungry. Countless workers requiring translation never
received due benefits, with the NYSDOL responding that ‘mistakes were made.’ [...] ‘It felt like
the government is really failing people, failing workers, on multiple levels,’ said Flushing
Workers Center Organizer Sarah Ahn. ‘Fine, [the state] can’t do anything about the pandemic,
but it can ensure that the health and well-being of people is [its] primary concern. We all felt like
that was clearly not the case.’” Clearly, systemic discrimination and challenges continue to
reinforce the cycle of poverty, making the chance of economic mobility an even more distant
possibility. Hard work alone is not enough. Determination is not enough. Resilience is not
enough. Systemic problems require systemic solutions, not just a change in thinking.
The American Dream, once a beacon of hope for immigrants, is a story of contradictions.
It promises opportunity but denies access. It celebrates hard work but ignores systemic barriers.
Few ideals have shaped the world’s perception of America like the belief that anyone can
rise through ambition and effort. This ideal, known as the American Dream, is built on the
foundation of freedom, opportunity, and self-determination. In the 19th and early 20th centuries,
this dream became a magnet for immigrants. Many fled poverty, war, and oppression, seeking for
a better life for themselves and for their families. Policies like the Homestead act and promises
of jobs in industrial centers painted America a land of boundless opportunity. For millions, the
dream of economic mobility—the ability to improve your financial situation and achieve higher
economic status—outweighed the challenges of starting over in a new and unfamiliar land.
But today, this dream feels less like a beacon of hope and more like a fading mirage. Language
barriers, legal restrictions, and systemic discrimination significantly hinder immigrants’ ability to
achieve economic mobility, making the American Dream unattainable in modern-day America.
Let’s begin with two critical factors: language barriers and legal challenges. Language
barriers hinder economic advancement, and these limitations become especially dire during
crises like the pandemic. As Martohardjono of the National Center for Law and Economic
Justice explains, “‘Immigrants and people of color are among the groups that bear the brunt of
the mortality crisis and disproportionately work as essential workers most at risk. [...] workers
with limited English proficiency haven’t been able to access this lifeline of support because the
Department of Labor refuses to provide multilingual access. These language access gaps have
continued-denying countless eligible LEP workers UI benefits essential to staving off poverty
and hunger.’” (Martohardjono 22). Legal restrictions compound these challenges. Undocumented
immigrants lack the ability to secure stable employment, access benefits, and pursue long-term
, economic advancement, trapping many in a cycle of poverty. Oakford and Lynch explain that
granting legal status and citizenship to immigrants could to an 25.1% increase in their wages
within 5 years, highlighting the benefits of legal immigration (Oakford and Lynch 13).Yet, the
Pew Research Center shows that nearly a quarter of the U.S. foreign population is remains
unauthorized (Moslimani and Passel 24). Together, these challenges create significant obstacles
that prevent immigrants from fully participating in the economic opportunities that are key to
achieving the American Dream.
Some argue that immigrants can overcome these obstacles through hard work and
perseverance. But what they fail to realize is that success is not universal, and poverty leaves
many immigrant families in the same low income cycle because of systemic discrimination.
Martohardjono explains the harsh reality “ [...] many of those LEP workers who did not find
community and legal organization assistance, [...], were denied benefits, turned to food banks,
resorted to homeless shelters, and went hungry. Countless workers requiring translation never
received due benefits, with the NYSDOL responding that ‘mistakes were made.’ [...] ‘It felt like
the government is really failing people, failing workers, on multiple levels,’ said Flushing
Workers Center Organizer Sarah Ahn. ‘Fine, [the state] can’t do anything about the pandemic,
but it can ensure that the health and well-being of people is [its] primary concern. We all felt like
that was clearly not the case.’” Clearly, systemic discrimination and challenges continue to
reinforce the cycle of poverty, making the chance of economic mobility an even more distant
possibility. Hard work alone is not enough. Determination is not enough. Resilience is not
enough. Systemic problems require systemic solutions, not just a change in thinking.
The American Dream, once a beacon of hope for immigrants, is a story of contradictions.
It promises opportunity but denies access. It celebrates hard work but ignores systemic barriers.
