Rivera 1

Tanya Rivera

Mrs. Keeley

College Composition

October 27, 2024

The Real American Dream

The “American Dream” is a fantasy story told to young brown kids to prepare them for

what will come. The “Dream” is about people walking thousands of miles, crossing rivers, riding

trains, all to come work in the Land of the Free. The “Dream” is about people working hard and

earning bags of money to send home to their families. The “Dream” is a message about hope and

patriotism, but it is not the whole story. Once arriving, many quickly realize that their jobs are

not to benefit them in America. Many face forms of discrimination and racism. As proven in lots

of research, immigrants in America struggle mentally, physically, socially, economically, and

politically due to fear and discrimination.

One area in which many immigrants struggle is their mental health due to their

experiences with racism and fear of deportation. In the world of politics, many government

representatives debate over immigration policies. These debates spread all over the media and

sparked tension between the people on the topic. People use stereotypes and overgeneralize

situations that paint immigrants as “the bad ones,” which creates an unsafe space for immigrants.

Furthermore, due to the negative portrayal of immigrants in the U.S., these immigrants “perceive

more discrimination against their group, which could result in greater psychological distress”

(Cobb 264). Cobb suggests that the negative stereotypes shown in the media associated with the

identities of immigrants can cause distress, which can lead to mental health problems. In the
 Rivera 2

same way that discrimination can cause mental health problems, so can fear. Fear tends to be the

root of many/if not all, mental illnesses. It builds up over time, taking a toll on the mind and

body. This can be explicitly seen in the Latino community as immigrants fear deportation, which

can cause a “heightened risk of experiencing negative emotional states, particular anger, and

Hispanic immigrant stress,” which can be caused by “extrafamilial factors” (Cavazos-Rehg

1130). Similarly, Ayón agrees when she writes, “In families where parents have been detained or

deported, children are found to experience a range of behavioral and emotional problems,

including lack of appetite, disrupted sleep, anxiety, withdrawal, anger, and clinginess” (9).

Cavazos-Rehg and Ayón’s point is that deportation is a fear for many families. The fear of

deportation can have a tremendous effect on not only the adults but as well as the kids. I, as a

person in a mixed-status family, fear that one day, my family members could be taken or, worse,

deported. This fear is ingrained in the minds of Latinos all over the United States, just like

racism is ingrained in the history of America, and both continue until this day. Moreover,

although there has been an attempt for change, both in the minds of people and the government,

immigrants still live, dealing with discrimination and fear that haunts their minds.

The physical health of immigrants in America is decreasing as a result of discrimination

and fear. It is no surprise that most immigrants work manual labor jobs, including construction,

manufacturing, and maintenance. These jobs commonly lead to accidents and forms of body

pain. Surprisingly, not many immigrants receive medical help as they do not have the insurance

or the money to pay medical bills. This is because immigrants often do not make as much money

as citizens, or they get denied access to the application, or they “encounter challenges simply

completing the paperwork because of their limited education, limited English proficiency, or

inadequate computer literacy” (Ayón 14). The essence of Ayón’s point is to speak about the
 Rivera 3

inequality towards immigrants as they are discriminated against because of their little education.

Additionally, “immigrants experience limited access to healthcare due to the 1996 federal

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) and state

legislation that prevents unauthorized immigrants and recent arrivals from accessing public

benefits such as Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), (Ayón 13). Both

authors agree on the fact that immigrants are being pushed away from being able to receive

healthcare. Ayón also continues to say how living in segregated neighborhoods based on

ethnicity, as a result of housing discrimination, can also affect the physical health of immigrants.

These segregated neighborhoods are “associated with low health insurance coverage, inadequate

access to personal physicians, and fair or poor self-rated health” (Ayon 7). Neighborhoods like

this often do not have the best healthcare facilities nearby. Some facilities often have long lines

and lack the medical equipment to help patients. This is seen even today; for example, my

mother receives medical care from a large hospital that provides primary healthcare but does not

have enough doctors, nurses, surgeons, tools, or money to help the number of patients they

receive daily. Because of this, many immigrants would rather deal with their health problems.

Consequently, there has been a yearly decrease in the number of immigrants who use any form

of healthcare. The cause has been proven to be because they fear that their private information

will be leaked to law enforcement and can be used to detain them or deport them (Nestor 1008).

The fear of deportation restricts immigrants from receiving the attention they deserve because

they would rather die than be taken back to their country of origin. As an immigrant, the

sacrifices they made, the money they gave, and the pain they went through would go to waste if

they got sent back as a result of a hospital visit. Now, it is evident that the discrimination and fear

experienced by immigrants in America have led to a decline in their physical health.

 Rivera 4

Latino immigrants have been socially impacted by fear of law enforcement and

discrimination based on their race. Due to mass media, everyone can say whatever they want, to

whoever they want, from wherever they are. As a result, negative comments such as stereotypes,

lies, and rumors have spread and influenced some to have certain opinions of groups of people.

These opinions lead to ethnic(race)-based rejection, which is when others deny people because of

their ethnicity/race; most people would experience this as people of color. Ethnic-based rejection

has a significant impact on first-generation Latino immigrants because they “distance themselves

from themselves from other Americans when they perceive ethnic-based rejection for fear that

they (if they do not have documents) or someone close to them might be reported to the

authorities or, worse, deported,” (Wiley 316). This rejection can decrease not only the social life

of many immigrants but also their mental health. It creates fear that people will know their legal

status and tell authorities. Another effect of this form of discrimination from white Americans is

that first-generation Latinos identify less with their American identity and are usually not willing

to speak up politically as a representative of their ethnic group (Wiley 315). The social impact of

this is that some Latinos do not feel American. They can feel lost and unwelcome in their own

country. It can create many struggles when trying to bond with the American people. A result of

Latinos distancing themselves from other Americans is that they tend to live in communities of

color. These communities of color tend to be in areas where there are high crime rates, fewer

resources, and poor schools. Ayón agrees when they say that “living in a segregated

neighborhood has serious implications for families’ socioeconomic mobility as it limits their

access to good employment opportunities, high-quality schools, and economically viable social

networks” (7). The lack of connections for immigrants living in segregated neighborhoods leads
 Rivera 5

to children staying in these areas and the cycle of struggle continuing over and over. Thus, this

cycle of struggle continues for immigrants because of discrimination and fear.

Immigrants suffer economic hardship because of fear of family separation and

discrimination against their race. Deportation causes big riffs in the family. Most times, people

get detained by ICE in their workspaces, and in families, the parents are the ones who get

detained. Andrew agrees when he says how deportation of family members “impose trauma and

economic struggles, especially for women and children” (3). Many women fear losing the

breadwinner of their family because, as immigrant women, it is harder to find a job that does not

require a social security number. Some children even have to leave school and get jobs to help

their families financially, and even then, ends are not met. As someone in a mixed-status family,

if one or both parents were to be deported, I would have to pull my weight financially to pay

rent, food, etc. These struggles are not the struggles of American citizens. Similarly, because of

fear of deportation, parents of U.S. citizen children are “reluctant to attend meetings at their

children’s schools or to apply for benefits to which their children are legally entitled” (CMS).

The Center of Migration Studies’s point is that fear has caused children in mixed-status families

to be stopped from receiving the resources that they can have as citizens. Economically, this fear

can stop families from receiving welfare or money from the government to help sustain their

families. It creates economic instability for the home, leading to poverty and homelessness. That

is a common fate for many immigrant families. Over the past years, “immigrants report being

turned away from openly advertised rentals,” and the cause is that “assumptions were made

about their legal status based on their physical traits and language abilities” (Ayón 8). This type

of treatment has been going on for a while. Immigrants coming to America attempting to find

jobs and housing with little to no experience and no background in speaking English end up
 Rivera 6

getting rejected because of the language barrier. Sometimes, it can also be because people make

assumptions based on stereotypes. In the housing market, immigrants are also being subject to

“discriminatory practices” such as “predatory lending and exclusionary zoning practices” (Ayón

8). Ayon continues to explain how housing managers use these tricks to “place Latinos at a high

risk for being house-poor” (8). House-poor means that most of the individual/family income goes

towards paying for the house, which can lead to people losing their homes and possibly living in

poverty. Discrimination like this leads to a lack of opportunities for immigrants to get jobs,

economic inequality, and homelessness. In conclusion, the fear of family separation and

discrimination against immigrants has led to economic hardships, trauma, and inequality for

many immigrants.

In conclusion, the “American Dream” is a myth for many immigrants. It is a complex

issue that goes beyond just working hard and earning money. Immigrants in America face

discrimination, racism, and fear, which lead to problems with both mental and physical health. It

also caused problems with the social life and economic stability of immigrants. The government

and society have a fault in this, so together, the government and society must work towards

providing equal opportunities and fair treatment for all immigrants. This includes providing a

better and faster way to gain citizenship for both undocumented immigrants and DACA

recipients. Another way could be providing economic resources for mixed-status families in

segregated communities. Or, another way could be sending aid to their countries of origin to

combat the problems going on to stop the increasing flow of immigrants immigrating to the

States. These possible solutions can help create the “American Dream” to become just like the

fairy-tale. To become a great country, America must continue to evolve and help others. And by

doing so, we can help create a better future for immigrants and all Americans.
 Rivera 7

Works Cited

Andrews, Abigail L. “Moralizing Regulation: The Implications of Policing ‘Good’ versus ‘Bad’
Immigrants.” Ethnic & Racial Studies, vol. 41, no. 14, Nov. 2018, pp. 2485–503.
EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.proxy1.library.eiu.edu/10.1080/01419870.2017.1375133.
Ayón, Cecilia. “Economic, Social, and Health Effects of Discrimination on Latino Immigrant
Families.” Migration Policy Institute, 2015.
Cavazos-Rehg, Patricia A et al. “Legal status, emotional well-being and subjective health status
of Latino immigrants.” Journal of the National Medical Association vol. 99,10 (2007):
1126-31.
Cobb, Cory L., et al. “Acculturation, Discrimination, and Depression among Unauthorized
Latinos/as in the United States.” Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, vol.
23, no. 2, Apr. 2017, pp. 258–68. EBSCOhost,
https://doi-org.proxy1.library.eiu.edu/10.1037/cdp0000118.
Rodriguez, Nestor, et al. “Fear of Immigration Enforcement Among Older Latino Immigrants in
the United States.” Journal of Aging & Health, vol. 29, no. 6, Sept. 2017, pp. 986–1014.
EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.proxy1.library.eiu.edu/10.1177/0898264317710839.
The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS). “Mass Deportations Would Impoverish
US Families and Create Immense Social Costs - the Center for Migration Studies of New
York (CMS).” The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS), 10 Jan. 2019,
cmsny.org/publications/mass-deportations-impoverish-us-families-create-immense-costs.
Wiley, Shaun, et al. “Rejection-(Dis)Identification and Ethnic Political Engagement among
First-Generation Latino Immigrants to the United States.” Cultural Diversity and Ethnic
Minority Psychology, vol. 19, no. 3, July 2013, pp. 310–19. EBSCOhost,
https://doi-org.proxy1.library.eiu.edu/10.1037/a0031093.