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| Unframed photo installation at Ellis Island (2014) by J.R. |
Soni describes Ambassador Sen's advocacy on behalf of "professional-class American--professors, entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, hoteliers" as a "classic American story: an aspirational class of immigrants" (185).
Do you personally know any aspirational immigrants to this country, perhaps members of your community (or your own family?), who might be considered part of such a "classic American story"? Where did they come from? When did they come to the States? What kind of work do they do? What kind of values do they model?
Only answer this question after you've read part four, chapter six and all preceding chapters.
An aspirational immigrant that I personally know is my mother. In 1995, a seventeen-year-old foreign exchange student flew from Albania to New York and later Oklahoma City. She became the first in her family to leave the country where the communist regime had recently collapsed to travel to America. Shortly after graduating high school, she enrolled at the University of Central Oklahoma. Aspiring to work and become a citizen, she received a student visa to continue her education. With no money, she worked numerous hours to pay for her education. After college, she found a job that provided a work visa to continue living in America. This company sponsored her throughout the process of receiving a green card. My mom models the values of perseverance, grit, and determination throughout her journey. She is a pioneer for her sister and parents who followed suit years after. I consider my mom’s journey a “classic American story” because of the life she created from an opportunity to travel to America.
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