As an immigrant, I myself came to the United States of America in May 2006. I remember having a great sense of excitement, but at the same time I was a little scared to come to a new place and experience a new language and culture. Millions of people have had the chance to come here and make a significant change in their life, and for all the immigrants still to come I have a few important points to consider if your goal is to achieve the American Dream.
Live in the Land of Opportunity, Not the Land of Jobs.
Recently I read the story of Ronald H. Coase, the 1991 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. He came to the United States in 1931 from Great Britain with a traveling scholarship. He was surprised to find that in the land of so much opportunity, in a free enterprise economy, a worker will voluntarily submit to the direction of a corporation instead of selling his own output or service directly to customers in the market.
I personally encourage you to go after your American Dream by taking advantage of the free enterprise system. In doing so, you will have a chance to accumulate wealth while bringing a solution to an existing problem or fulfilling a necessary role. One of the best strategies for success is to have a regular job and start a part-time business of your own. This allows you to start saving money and helps the transition to full-time self employment go smoothly. Starting a part-time business will bring a sense of security and bring your innovation skills to life.
Bring Value to the Community.
When early humans first figured out how to control and use fire, they did more than just discover a way to keep themselves warm on cold nights. They also laid down the basis for a variety of other new technologies and many other industries, such as cooking, lighting, and the forging of metal. When you as an immigrant produce or create a new way to do things, you are bringing great value to the community and making yourself an integral part of it. Like early humans and fire, your innovation can be built upon by others, thereby increasing its value.
Imagine how many industries and jobs Henry Ford created because of his vision of the automobile. He was able to make cars available to every single American, which meant the birth of different industries such as road creation and maintenance, gas stations, mechanic shops, etc. Ford’s car itself was of great value, but the countless opportunities it created for the American community were even more valuable.
The essence of the American Dream is to bring value to the community by improving something that already exists, creating something new, or using the skills that we already have from our home countries. Remember this as you search for your vision in the US.
Always Remember Where You Come From.
I was born and raised in the beautiful country of El Salvador. My parents always encouraged me to be a good citizen, and I owe everything to them. I love my family and I love the country that I’m from.
Because of this, one of the dreams I have is to give back to the country and make my parents proud. Since this is so important to me, I have a big responsibility to always give my best and to become the best that I can. My American Dream has become bigger than myself as a direct result of my love for my home country and my family.
When your dream is bigger than yourself and you want to contribute to a country or to a community, your sense of purpose is increased and you become driven by a crusade or a movement. We need more immigrants who are willing to make a difference not only to their families but to many others in the world. Remembering those you’ve left behind and your home country can give you that drive to do more and be better.
I was in the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican during my Italian vacation, and Pope Francisco put it this way: We have got to be tough people, and easily the toughest, most irresistible force on earth is love. We need to love life, our profession, the people we are with, God, our country, and our family. So to all of the immigrants, I encourage you above all to follow what you love and live your passions. If you do, you’ll be sure to achieve success in this incredible country.
