A Real American Dream

August 31, 2010

Who exemplifies the American Dream?

When my father was fourteen years old he had already called four towns home, moved to countless houses and had separated from more loving family members than some people even have. His father decided that their life in Palestine was no longer the safe choice for his family, but they didn’t have enough money for all nine siblings to immigrate to the United States. My father was the second oldest boy, so he, his older brother and my grandfather packed two pairs of pants and three clean shirts to start a new life in America. They left behind brothers, sisters, mothers, friends and perspective wives in the belief that this country would be more prosperous and peaceful. When the plane landed, my dad was amazed to see snow falling in the dark night that surrounded Waltham, ma. At that moment a new citizen of our country was prepared to do whatever he could so that he could walk down his own street and feel safe and welcomed. This is the American dream that he would strive for in the years to come.
Slowly the rest of his family was brought over and he started high school. He and his brothers quickly learned that students weren’t friendly like the ones on television. None the less, he went to school on a regular basis and was the only one of his five brothers to have a teacher encourage him to apply for college. My father didn’t want to do anything that made him different. While some kids practice football, guitar or painting, my father practiced speaking without an Arabic accent. He had joined clubs and sports teams, but since school was never an important part of life growing up, it was hard for him to commit. He was the second one in his generation to graduate, which gave him a sense of achievement, graduating from an American institution.
He met my mother on a double date, her and her best friend and my father and uncle. She was an Irish-Catholic woman, long blonde hair and blue eyes,   who believed in... [continues]

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