the american dream? dream on?

i'm (free!) reading this great little book nickel and dimed - on (not) getting by in america by barbara ehrenreich (thanks, melissa. i know you told me to read this years ago). anyway, this lady decided to do some investigative journalism in its purist form - she quit her job as an essayist and became part of the "unskilled" working class that millions of americans are a part of. she wanted to find out if she could work a low paying job, such as waitressing or housekeeping, find a cheap place to live and make ends meet. obviously, if you've ever worked a shit job in high school or college (i worked plenty, including time as an oil sample tester - long story), you know that it would be nearly impossible.

what i find interesting about this book is that ehrenreich challenges the myth of the american dream. some of the co-workers she meets have this blinding optimism that if they work hard enough, they'll make it big. in reality, she believes, most, if not all, will never break through.

until now, i've subscribed to the idea of the american dream. my parents and extended family are living examples: refugees from Vietnam, working jobs, getting through school, and eventually becoming successful.

but with a massive flood of immigrants in recent years, the support they recieve when starting off isn't as good as thirty years ago. it's true that my family had american sponsors who helped them get settled.

i guess what i'm trying to get at is, this book reminded me of an iranian family siva and i met on a bus from cappadocia to istanbul. a group of 10-15 of them had been traveling by bus all the way from iran though turkey to reach istanbul and fly to the united states. suprisingly (or not), some of the family members approached us at a rest stop and asked if we were americans. we said yes. then the questions came pouring out: what is california like? what is oregon like? jobs good in los angeles? jobs good in portland?

from how they were dressed and the sheer number of them flying to the u.s., i assumed that this was a prominent family in iran, or at least part of the educated class there. aside from asylum or the fear of war, the american dream still drives families like this from around the world to come to the states. but what will they do when they get there? their english is sparse. their nationality will probably create some tension. the only jobs they'll get will be the jobs ehrenreich got. in no way, will they have the same affluent life as they did back in iran. is it really worth it to come here?

for my journalism minor in college, i did similar research about the current situation of new immigrants. i even helped sudanese refugees get settled in colorado springs. and my only positive take on the american dream is that it still exists, but in a different form now...

the modern american dream exists mostly for the next generation.

it is the immigrant parents who work 2 or 3 low income, "unskilled" jobs, that still make time to push their children to excel in school, who have the best chance of seeing the rewards of the new american dream. the parents may never have an easy life, but their kids have a shot.

no doubt. my life has been much easier compared to my parents' humble beginnings in america. shit, i just traveled around europe for a month, something my parents would never have considered when they were my age...they were too busy trying to get by.

so here's to the iranian family. best of luck. i hope they achieve some variation of the american dream.