Blog 9, 6/19: The Presidency

“My dad was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya…Through hard work and perseverance, my father got a scholarship to study in the magical place; America which stood as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before.”

Obama uses the example of this father to highlight the “American dream” and that America is indeed the land of opportunity where hard work is rewarded. His dad, an immigrant, came from Kenya to attend college, met his wife, and started a family. Many immigrants come to America seeking a better life, through his anecdotal family history Obama proved that it is possible; “My parents shared not only an improbable love; they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation.”

I am first generation, a daughter of immigrant parents who grew up poor and came to America seeking a better life, just like Obama’s father and thousands of immigrants who come to America. My dad was a photographer who through programs like FHA and affordable housing was able to buy a house; the American dream. Though our country has many issues that need to be addressed, I am not blinded to the fact that for my family, just like Obama’s, it was the land of opportunity.