spaces and exchanges

SPACES AND EXCHANGES.

America has always been « the land of opportunities » for many immigrants. In one century, 30 million europeans immigrated to the USA for many reasons and lawas in 1965 have opened the floogates to a multitude of immigrants of different nationalities « a melting polt ».
So, what part immigrants play in the exchanges between countries and what do the new americans aspire to ?

The reasons why America is still a destination for immigrants.

We studied a cover of the American Magasine (Time) : the focus of the cover is a woman who looks attractive and if a take a closer looke, we notice that hers features are a blend of different ethnic groups : Asian, Middle-eastern, Europeans… So, she is a perfect symbol of the melting polt in the USA, which still a destination for immigrants by its attractiveness
For them, the US is a country of hopes, they hope to have better carreer, a better job opportunity, a better life.
Example : Fang i shew, a woman from Taiwan, who immigrated to the USA was eager to succeed as a dancer but taiwans is too little so her ambititon drove her to emigrate to the US where she wanted to achive/fulfil her dream.
They can find shelter because they want religious freedom like a woman from Iran who settled in California because she wanted more independance and no one can be persecuted in a democracy.

What obstacles and dificulties can new immigrants meet ?

It may be hard to enrol at university since the fees are very expansive, that’s why some people have a part time job while they are studying to graduate and it’s very tiring.
It’s no always easy to find a job because some people are prejudiced against immigrants, it’s like they want to protect native culture from external influence, as we say « birds of a feather flock together »  people of the same culture stand together, so even if you find a job, despite your good resume, your future is uncertain and you can be laid off. It’s almost the same when you are undocumented because you can’t have any plans for future and you fear you might be expelled from US. We studied a picture of an undocumented student demonstrating for her rights : she wears a sign saying « now what ? » and looking frustrated and down hearted even a ther graduation.
So, these kinds of feelings are frequent : in « the beautiful things that heaven wears », written by Dinaw Mengestu, a shopkeeper from Ethiopia live in poor living condition in USA, feels homesick and lonely, away from her parents, she send them money because she feels like she had to do it, to cosolate herself.

But some people, succeed at integrating and shape the american identity, thanks to a job that can give them a new life and new hopes, or just by speaking the language fluently. But they can also just manage to blend in the community, like Pedro, a mexican who went to the USA in the novel « My friends, the illegal Immigrants » by Guillermo Arriaga) and couldn’t say a word of english, however he managed to coommunicate through signs and was greeted with affection.

CCL : The American dream has been present from the start : what the USA is now is founded on the successive waves of immigration, which have built the country, and given its richness. The dream has changed over times but it’s always here and even if the American economics is not trhiving, millions of people all over the wrold still believe to have a shot at this dream. To them, the USA is still and EL DORADO, where everything is possible.

As far as I’m concerned I would love to go to the US because in our country, sports, music and art in general don’t play a major role. Whereas in America, the land of opportunities, everything is possible, and arts/ sports are extremely important. every single immigrant feels this huge country can be a paradise on earth believing in the dream is an American cultural trait. The « Pursuit of happiness » is written in the American constitution.