My (Underground) American Dream

My (Underground) American Dream

Author: Julissa Arce

Publisher: Center Street

Published: 2016-09-13

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 1455540250

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A National Bestseller! What does an undocumented immigrant look like? What kind of family must she come from? How could she get into this country? What is the true price she must pay to remain in the United States? JULISSA ARCE knows firsthand that the most common, preconceived answers to those questions are sometimes far too simple-and often just plain wrong. On the surface, Arce's story reads like a how-to manual for achieving the American dream: growing up in an apartment on the outskirts of San Antonio, she worked tirelessly, achieved academic excellence, and landed a coveted job on Wall Street, complete with a six-figure salary. The level of professional and financial success that she achieved was the very definition of the American dream. But in this brave new memoir, Arce digs deep to reveal the physical, financial, and emotional costs of the stunning secret that she, like many other high-achieving, successful individuals in the United States, had been forced to keep not only from her bosses, but even from her closest friends. From the time she was brought to this country by her hardworking parents as a child, Arce-the scholarship winner, the honors college graduate, the young woman who climbed the ladder to become a vice president at Goldman Sachs-had secretly lived as an undocumented immigrant. In this surprising, at times heart-wrenching, but always inspirational personal story of struggle, grief, and ultimate redemption, Arce takes readers deep into the little-understood world of a generation of undocumented immigrants in the United States today- people who live next door, sit in your classrooms, work in the same office, and may very well be your boss. By opening up about the story of her successes, her heartbreaks, and her long-fought journey to emerge from the shadows and become an American citizen, Arce shows us the true cost of achieving the American dream-from the perspective of a woman who had to scale unseen and unimaginable walls to get there.


Gringo-Latino

Gringo-Latino

Author: Edwin L Mourino-Ruiz Ph D

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2014-12-01

Total Pages: 76

ISBN-13: 9781502754219

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The U.S. demographics are changing. It is increasingly getting minority, in particular Latino. They are actually 53 million estimated Latinos in the U.S., making the 2nd most country in the world, only after Mexico with most Latinos. In addition the U.S. is the 5th country in the world where Spanish is spoken. For every Anglo that dies one is born, for every Latino that dies, 8 are born. Due to this increasing population, changing demographic, and exchanging influence is why I decided to write this book. This fictional book is about a group of Latino friends that through choice or circumstance were either born or raised in the U.S. in a bi-cultural and bi-lingual environment. They come together now on vacation to get together and enjoy each other's company and relax. While they vacation the reader has an opportunity to look into their pasts while the characters reminisce on their life journey with its ups and downs while pursuing their Sueño Americano/American dream. Through their reflections we get a close view to what they have been through, both good and bad to arrive where they are today.The present amount of Latinos in America today and their influence in this country through music, art, food, language, and culture has since before the pilgrims and particularly now impacted this country in ways that sometimes many don't realize. Through the personal stories of the characters, the book will hopefully increase non-Latinos understanding of the differences and similarities as they pursue the American dream. How family, culture, religion, their faith, hopes, and dreams add to the evolving immigrant created country called America. This book will provide a unique perspective of people's lives as they tried to live them as best they could regardless of their circumstances. It will provide a look back on the characters as they reflect on their lives as they gather to vacation with their friends. It sets out to tell a series of stories that follow a group of friends as they gather for vacation. Each of them reflects on their life journey to where they are today. How they started and where and through the difficulties that some of them went through as they blended into the American way of life, either from other Latin American countries or as 2nd generation Latinos. How some went through more difficult circumstances then others, but all were appreciative of having made it this far, to where they were today as they gathered with their vacation Latino friends. This book provides a blend of unique stories, perspectives, and journeys that have the common denominator of being Latino in the U.S. while pursuing the American Dream. This book is intended for anyone that wants to enjoy a series of stories of friends as they reflect on their life journeys. It might be increasingly interesting for the growing Latino-American population in this country who might relate to one or some of the stories through either personal or by someone they know of that went through a similar experience.


An American Son

An American Son

Author: Marco Rubio

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2012-06-19

Total Pages: 393

ISBN-13: 1101592370

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Few politicians have risen to national prominence as quickly as Marco Rubio. Here is the full story of his unlikely journey. Florida Senator Marco Rubio electrified the 2012 Republican National Con­vention by telling the story of his parents, who were struggling immigrants from Cuba. They embraced their new country and taught their children to appreciate its unique opportunities. Every sacrifice they made over the years, as they worked hard at blue-collar jobs in Miami and Las Vegas, was for their children. Young Marco grew up dreaming about football, not politics. In this fas­cinating memoir, he reveals how he ended up running for the West Miami City Commission, and then the Florida House of Representatives. In just six years he rose to Speaker of the Florida House. He then won his U.S. Senate campaign as an extreme long shot. Now Rubio speaks on the national stage about the better future that’s possible if we return to our founding principles. In that vision, as in his fam­ily’s story, Rubio proves that the American Dream is still alive for those who pursue it.


Mi sueño de América / My American Dream

Mi sueño de América / My American Dream

Author: Yuliana Gallegos

Publisher: Arte Publico Press

Published: 2007-01-01

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13: 9781558854857

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Yuliana recalls her move from Monterrey, Mexico, to Houston, Texas. Describing her experiences as an immigrant child in her new environment.


Someone Like Me

Someone Like Me

Author: Julissa Arce

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Published: 2018-09-18

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13: 0316481734

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A remarkable true story from social justice advocate and national bestselling author Julissa Arce about her journey to belong in America while growing up undocumented in Texas. Born in the picturesque town of Taxco, Mexico, Julissa Arce was left behind for months at a time with her two sisters, a nanny, and her grandma while her parents worked tirelessly in America in hopes of building a home and providing a better life for their children. That is, until her parents brought Julissa to Texas to live with them. From then on, Julissa secretly lived as an undocumented immigrant, went on to become a scholarship winner and an honors college graduate, and climbed the ladder to become a vice president at Goldman Sachs. This moving, at times heartbreaking, but always inspiring story will show young readers that anything is possible. Julissa's story provides a deep look into the little-understood world of a new generation of undocumented immigrants in the United States today--kids who live next door, sit next to you in class, or may even be one of your best friends.


Our Kids

Our Kids

Author: Robert D. Putnam

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2016-03-29

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 1476769907

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"The bestselling author of Bowling Alone offers [an] ... examination of the American Dream in crisis--how and why opportunities for upward mobility are diminishing, jeopardizing the prospects of an ever larger segment of Americans"--


American Gulag

American Gulag

Author: Mark Dow

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 428

ISBN-13: 0520246691

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The freelance writer and poet takes an unprecedented look inside the secret and repressive world of U.S. immigration prisons.


Behold, America

Behold, America

Author: Sarah Churchwell

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2018-10-09

Total Pages: 379

ISBN-13: 1541673425

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A Smithsonian Magazine Best History Book of 2018 The unknown history of two ideas crucial to the struggle over what America stands for In Behold, America, Sarah Churchwell offers a surprising account of twentieth-century Americans' fierce battle for the nation's soul. It follows the stories of two phrases -- the "American dream" and "America First" -- that once embodied opposing visions for America. Starting as a Republican motto before becoming a hugely influential isolationist slogan during World War I, America First was always closely linked with authoritarianism and white supremacy. The American dream, meanwhile, initially represented a broad vision of democratic and economic equality. Churchwell traces these notions through the 1920s boom, the Depression, and the rise of fascism at home and abroad, laying bare the persistent appeal of demagoguery in America and showing us how it was resisted. At a time when many ask what America's future holds, Behold, America is a revelatory, unvarnished portrait of where we have been.


Illegal

Illegal

Author: Jose Angel N.

Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Published: 2014-02-15

Total Pages: 137

ISBN-13: 0252096185

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A day after José Ángel N. first crossed the United States border from Mexico, he was caught and then released onto the streets of Tijuana. Undeterred, N. crawled back through a tunnel to San Diego, where he entered the United States to stay. Illegal: Reflections of an Undocumented Immigrant is his timely and compelling memoir of building a new life in America. Arriving in the 1990s with a ninth grade education, N. traveled to Chicago where he found access to ESL and GED classes. He eventually attended college and graduate school and became a professional translator. Despite having a well-paying job, N. was isolated by a lack of legal documentation. Travel concerns made promotions impossible. The simple act of purchasing his girlfriend a beer at a Cubs baseball game caused embarrassment and shame when N. couldn't produce a valid ID. A frustrating contradiction, N. lived in a luxury high-rise condo but couldn't fully live the American dream. He did, however, find solace in the one gift America gave him–-his education. Ultimately, N.'s is the story of the triumph of education over adversity. In Illegal, he debunks the stereotype that undocumented immigrants are freeloaders without access to education or opportunity for advancement. With bravery and honesty, N. details the constraints, deceptions, and humiliations that characterize alien life "amid the shadows."


Linden Hills

Linden Hills

Author: Gloria Naylor

Publisher: Open Road Media

Published: 2017-03-14

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 1504043170

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The National Book Award–winning author of The Women of Brewster Place explores the secrets of an affluent black community. For its wealthy African American residents, the exclusive neighborhood of Linden Hills is a symbol of “making it.” The ultimate achievement: a home on prestigious Tupelo Drive. Making your way downhill to Tupelo is irrefutable proof of your worth. But the farther down the hill you go, the emptier you become . . . Using the descent of Dante’s Inferno as a model, this bold, haunting novel follows two young men as they attempt to find work amid the circles of the well-off community. Exploring a microcosm of race and social class, author Gloria Naylor reveals the true cost of success for the lost souls of Linden Hills—an existence trapped in a nightmare of their own making.