While the idea of the American Dream seems cliché to some, it is what has continuously defined my family’s story. My parents came to America with little money and no understanding of the language or culture. Despite seemingly insurmountable challenges, they took a leap of faith that America had a place for them, that they had something meaningful to contribute to a country that was already the envy of millions around the world, and that however ordinary they were, they too could do something extraordinary in building a better life for themselves and for their children. My parents spent their first few years in America traveling between the spare bedrooms of their friends and family who had immigrated before them. My mother worked at a Laundromat, while my father worked a newspaper delivery route by day and took classes at night. After years of hard work and moving up the ranks, my parents were given an opportunity to move to Boston and start a New England edition of the newspaper. At first, the Boston branch operated out of a backroom of a Chinese bookstore. My parents invested everything they had, including every ounce of their time and energy, into that newspaper. Today, more than two decades later, that paper has become the largest Chinese newspaper in all of New England. For many Chinese immigrants in Boston, it is their sole source of information on national and local news. It is their connection to their local community, and the primary means by which they become civically engaged in their new home country. My parents’ hard work has not only culminated in the achievement of their personal American Dream, but also has helped hundreds of thousands of other Chinese immigrants in Massachusetts assimilate to life in America and move them one step closer to realizing their own dreams. Through years of hard work and unyielding determination, my parents were able to completely transform their lives, contribute to and make a difference in their community, and deliver to their children the American promise of limitless opportunity. Their story constantly inspires me to give back to the country that has given my family so much. It is their American story that propels me towards a life of public service- to use my blessings to make my parents’ story possible for more people.
My ebook, Faith in the Dream, is a call to action and an invitation to participate in a conversation about our future. We must reaffirm our American values and renew our commitment to generational responsibility to keep the American Dream within reach of everyone – everyone – in our country. And we must do it together.
So we invite you to be a part of the conversation. Please share a story of how you or someone you know has made a difference in their community or our country.
Tell us where you see the values of opportunity, equality, and fair play at work in your life.
Explain how you or your organization have been involved in grassroots political organizing or activism that has been effective. What was the issue and what was the outcome?
And if you have ideas or suggestions for better ways to drive an agenda about promoting the American Dream, what are they?
These stories and ideas will be the foundation of a book I am writing about the power of ordinary Americans to shape this country’s future and protect the American Dream. We would love to include yours.
