Deceptions of “The American Dream”
Eritrea ኤርትራ : “Red”
A name, which is foreign to most and familiar to some, possesses a certain pride that has become a reminder that resilience is an adaptation of adversity.
Most families or individuals immigrate to America to seek opportunity in hopes of achieving “The American Dream.” Over time, you begin to question who this opportunity is really made for. Optimists may believe it’s the truth while realists believe it’s rhetoric. America was never the land of opportunity when it was built by the oppressed and the social stigma towards black people has continued to live on for centuries. The “ignorance is bliss” metaphor should not be deemed as an excuse for a person to stay stagnant in their groundless ideas and beliefs simply because it was what they were taught in life. James Baldwin’s truth that “ignorance allied with power is the most ferocious enemy justice can have” is the definition of white America, the rest of us just live in it.
As a daughter of immigrants living in rural Kansas, I learned early on in life that perspective is relative. Being one of the few black kids in a white school only an hour away from Topeka, KS (home of Brown v. Board of Education) was a surreal experience as it was hard not to recognize race. In school, I was more interested in making friends and “fitting in” that I was oblivious to racial undertone by other kids. However, there is an unspoken level of intolerance for an adult like my 4th grade teacher to ask me if my family are U.S. citizens and what language we speak. My parents did not come here for you to insult their intelligence.
Raising their 4 children in this country was not easy, but they found a way and excelled at it by instilling values in us that would lead to finding our strengths in becoming successful. Education being their main priority, they can say they put each of their children through college as well as achieving advanced degrees (me being the exception to the advanced degree…in due time folks). Even with all of the credentials on paper, we are still not viewed as worthy enough for equality because our skin tone does not fall under society’s acceptance criteria. This issue residing in every corner of America was the rude awakening.
Richmond, VA was a force to be reckoned with. A city with strong ties to the confederacy where statues and flags stand as monuments in representing the shamelessness of systemic racism. This becoming my new home was a hard pill to swallow. As diverse as the city was, it was also cliquish. Everyone stayed with their own kind and didn’t integrate much with one another. Tensions were tremendously high, especially when Charlottesville was the next door neighbor. Lack of job opportunity for minorities drove me out of the city to pursue my own goals in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C.
The District. Oh how vibrant and thriving you are. A place filled with history, growth and job outlook as well as culture. A melting pot with various shades, nationalities and religions provided the illusion that racism cannot be prevalent here. From restaurants to performing arts to outdoor festivities, there is a reason why the nation’s capital was bestowed the nickname “Chocolate City.” The city that I adore showed me that no place is perfect.
No matter where we go, we cannot seem to escape social injustice in this nation because the eyes of hate are always watching.
Indeed, with age comes wisdom. But why does this not seem to be a societal expectation for all? Black men are taught to bow their heads and carry on as whites continue to have the power in controlling their fate. Contrary to their opinions, black people are resilient in adversity and do not need validation from the majority who are the very ones responsible for rejecting our basic human rights in the first place. We are not asking for you to understand us, we’re not asking for you to pretend like you care, we’re asking for you to either let us live our lives without your unsolicited interference or help us reach a common goal in making this a better place for future generations. You owe us at least that. It is a coward who tolerates the social unrest and despair while continuing to align themselves with the problem. It is going to take more than just sharing content on social media, but acknowledgement is a start. Forward movement cannot be achieved overnight as “Rome was not built in a day,” but we sure as hell don’t need your consent to get there.
