My American Dream

Abstract

This article presents findings of a qualitative, interpretive case study of the experiences of 1.5- and 2nd-generation West African immigrants who self-identify as pursuing the American Dream, defined by them as academic attainment and career success. Employing structuration theory, the authors examine the interplay between structures and agency in participants’ educational and professional decision making. Participants’ perspectives on the American Dream are filled with references to dominant narratives of hard work, economic success, and the power of formal education. At the same time, findings illuminate a conceptual shift in understanding the nature of hard work and personal freedom experienced in pursuit of the American Dream as participants recognized that as African immigrants, they had to work harder to achieve the Dream while highlighting the role and influence of family expectations and schooling structures. Their expanded notions of the Dream include understandings of individual agency, social supports and constraints, and cultural forces.

Merit in Meritocracy: Uncovering the Myth of Exceptionality and Self-Reliance Through the Voices of Urban Youth of Color

“…Meritocracy has been defined as: (a) individuals’ abilities to succeed on the basis of their individual aptitudes and actions; (b) success is based on moral virtue; and (c) equal opportunity applies to all regardless of origin or social identity (Hochschild, 1995). Hence, it is believed that individuals earn rewards based on their abilities and efforts, solidifying the ideals of individuality, which are firmly rooted in American Democracy and the American Dream (Knight, Roegman, & Edstrom, 2016). All of this is premised on the idea that the U.S. offers an open system for economic and social mobility, despite evidence indicating that few manage this type of movement (Hill & Torres, 2010).…”

“…Therefore, urban and working-class adolescents must “ know the game ” to succeed beyond their current life circumstances (France et al, 2013). To learn these “ rules ,” and navigate their social terrain, adolescents of color tend to internalize symbolic and societal cues (Wagner & McLaughlin, 2015), which often interpret into an individualized view (i.e., bootstrapping) of success and educational attainment (Berliner, 2013; Knight et al, 2016). Hence, the isolation urban youth experience creates a barrier that denies them the “capacity to interpret that which lies beyond their social milieu” (Young, 2004, p. 194), and also the chance for upward mobility (Putnam, 2015).…”

Who Do I Want to Be Now That I’m Here? Refugee Entrepreneurs, Identity, and Acculturation

“…These include assimilation, marginalization, and separation. Assimilation refers to the near total sublimation of an ethnic or cultural identity; it occurs when a person blends into the dominant culture while forsaking her cultural heritage (Hirschman, 1983; Knight et al, 2016). When a refugee prefers disconnection from the home culture identity while seeking new relationships with the host community, they are more likely to assimilate.…”

Acculturation and Assimilation: A Qualitative Inquiry of Teacher Expectations for Somali Bantu Refugee Students

“…However, immigrants and refugees often speak of experiences that require them to leave their native culture behind in favor of adapting the “American way of life” (i.e., assimilation; cf. Hirschman, 1983; Knight, Roegman, & Edstrom, 2016). Policies to be “English only” and dress codes that prohibit expressions and practices that deviate from the White, middle-class standard suggest that the United States is not a melting pot where every culture is changed by additions of new cultures (i.e., acculturation).…”

“…Roxas also suggests that these expectations are best understood as reactions to an educational system that is ripe with obstacles for Somali Bantus and their families. African immigrant students shared similar sentiments of knowing that they would face harsh discrimination that would require them to assimilate to American customs and to work harder and be better in order to achieve the American Dream (Knight et al, 2016).…”