The American dream and the pursuit of happines

 The "American Dream" is defined as to how Americans can go from "Rags to Riches" with hard work, perseverance. In fact, the American Declaration of Independence states that man has inalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the right to "Pursue Happiness" .

I don't believe any other country has these words in their Constitution. Although the Declaration of the American Independence and the Constitution was originally written by and for "wealthy white guys" it can be clearly said that today that it protects and encompasses every ethnic group, women and sexual orientation.

However, American Citizenship tests are superficial resulting in millions of immigrants being inducted to Americanhood with little or no appreciation of the great sacrifices, advances and opportunities since the founding of the United States. Most notably the social progress made in just the past 50 years or so.

Now I'll bet many applicants for U.S. citizenship have not had a primer or interest or intuition in the American Declaration of Independence nor the Constitution of the United States of America. I am also particularly saddened by naive friends who praise Canada and Europe to the heavens, when in reality the inhabitants of these countries never fully assimilate non-European immigrants to their countries.

Which brings me to my original topic that no other country on the face of the earth has the stature and dignity of a human being changed in such a dramatically short time, as the changes experienced by non-European, non-white immigrants to the United states in my almost sixty years of observation. Let's take look at a few snapshots of my imaginary "Polaroid Camara" of a typical day in the United States, soon after my departure from Andrews Airport in then Ciudad Trujillo to New York City's Idelwild Airport in 1952.

One picture shows that second class citizenship was mortifying two significant social groups, African-Americans and Puerto Ricans. Blacks had just fought WW II but faced all types of legal or acceptable discriminatory practices and customs returning home. Puerto Ricans were fighting in the other side of the world dying in Korea paying what was referred to as a "Blood Tax" . At the time prevailing Puerto Rican nationalism captured the top headlines.

One group of Boricuas attacked President Truman's residence at the Blair House, and in 1952 another group shot their way into the U.S. Congress with blazing guns injuring many. Americans being superficial readers blamed all Puerto Ricans for the event, for a time turning the term "Puerto Rican" into a slur. 1952 was also a Presidential election year.

However in the American South despite the 15th Amendment to the Constitution being passed barely 82 years earlier outlawing Race as a barrier to the right to vote - Blacks or anyone perceived as non "European White" to the Southern voting poll supervisor- was to endure some form of humiliation and intimidation such as voting tests, voting taxes or some means to discourage Blacks from voting.

1962 was my college sophomore year. I travelled to New York City and obtained a summer job in an employment agency. The 1965 Civil Rights Law preventing discrimination in employment was still a few years away, however part of my training at the employment agency was to classify and place racial codes on all applicants.

A practice clearly made illegal after 1965. 1967 showed how dramatic laws would change that year. 17 states still had laws against whites marrying no-whites. In fact, President Obama's parents could have been arrested had they travelled to Virginia - right outside Washington, D.C. It all sounds so primitive and distant. Just like we watch the Afghan war during evening news, our evening "soup de jour" was watching televised beatings of Blacks in Southern restaurants during the Freedom Rides" for Racial equality.

Television came into its own with these news reports. America became aware of the true injustices in the land of the Free and the Brave. Now let's fast forward to today and my belief that every immigrant should be given a primer on the meaning of the American Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. These changes could never have occurred in any other country in the world.

What's more, the American Dream is uniquely an American experience. I have three immigrant friends who best describe the fulfillment of the "American Dream". One came from war ravaged Poland and today enjoys a home in a very exclusive section of Brooklyn with the beach a block away. Another came from Bombay India who used to ride a motor scooter as a medical salesman.

Today he enjoys a beautiful million dollar New Jersey Mac Mansion. A third retired six years ago to a beach property with a golf course near Juan Dolio. Despite a fall in the overall economy their "American Dream" has been realized and remain sustainable, even in today's economy.

However all these friends have a common knowledge and profound understanding of the sacrifices made by many Americans prior to their arrival to the United States. Sacrifices that made their success possible. So let's help new immigrants achieve their pursuit of Happiness and their American Dream by requiring U.S. citizenship applicants, a basic knowledge of American History, its Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Diario Libre