“My own family’s history reaches back to a similar border crossing. I hope that telling that story can help show how inextricably woven the immigrant experience is with the American experience and serve as a reminder that immigrants are one of our country’s greatest assets as we work toward continued American prosperity in the twenty-first century.”
Mexican Americans cross the border, legally and illegally, to pursue the American dream. Although Mexicans face stereotypes and discrimination, they are instrumental in the American economy through their labor in various sectors. The Mexicans’ experiences as immigrants intersect with the American dream. They ought to be appreciated for their contribution to America instead of being subjected to unnecessary discrimination due to their Mexican heritage.
“The vice-presidential selection process is one of the weirdest parts of American politics. It’s not like school PE class where you line up out in the open and see who gets picked. Everything about is done in a hush-hush, wink-wink manner. It happens almost entirely behind closed doors, and there’s a tradition-sometimes it felt like an obligation- of active prospects denying they’re being vetted or even that they’re interested in being vetted. The selection itself is made as undemocratically as possible, by the nominee alone.”
Julian Castro has first-hand experience with the selection of vice presidents in America considering that he almost ran alongside Hillary Clinton in 2016. Intensive vetting occurs before one is approved for the position of the vice-president. Despite American being an advanced democracy, the selection of vice presidents is not absolutely democratic. The selection of vice presidents is contingent connections and powerful endorsements from the leading political players.
“Mamo’s ill health threw off the precarious family balance that Mom had struggled to maintain. Dad wasn’t paying child support, so it was already a stretch to make ends meet. Not having a car was also taking its toll on Mom, who had to figure out how to get Mamo to and from doctor’s appointments while holding down a job. Sometimes when Mom walked through the door, she had a short exchange of sharp words with Mamo before retiring to her room and Mamo would stay in the living room with us, wailing, “Your mother doesn’t love me.”
Castro’s mother's financial struggles demonstrate the difficulty of attaining the American dream and prosperity. She lacks adequate financial resources to support Mamo alongside her sons. Evidently, her job does bot accord her adequate remuneration to finance basics expenditures such as health care and car purchase. As a result of the financial strain, conflicts erupt between Mamo and Castro’s mother. Mamo feels that her daughter is not doing enough to offer her the medical care she requires.
