“Mama, wo men zhen de qu mei guo ma?” (English translation: Mom, are we really going to America? Like really, really, one hundred percent sure?)
            I held my airplane ticket and scrutinized it to make sure it was real. Coming to America had been always a dream for me. Early in the 20th century, America was known as the “Golden Hill” to many Chinese people – a place where they could earn a fortune that they could never dream of in China, where they could live in luxurious houses, and where they had opportunities to use the advanced Western technology. Many Chinese people immigrated to the US not only for the purpose of economic prosperity, but also for academic reasons. As my grandfather told me in the airport, “Ni yi di yiao zhen xi zhe ge ji hui, nu li xue xi” (You need to value this opportunity because not everyone can have a chance to go to America.) Indeed, being able to come to America is like a miracle to many Chinese people. The moment my mom told me this good news, I was so excited that I felt as if I were in a paradise, where I could finally take a peek at the legendary Golden Gate Bridge and the world-famous universities, and most importantly, fulfill my own American Dream.

            The American Dream has been proven to be a major driving force to motivate many immigrants to work with perseverance and therefore to pursue their goals. According to the statistics published by MIT’s Registrar Office, the MIT graduates of 2004 consisted of 2,572 international students, who include undergraduates and graduates, of which 2,242, or 87%, graduated in 2004; for the Class of 2005, 88% of the international student body graduated and for the Class of 2006, 87.8% successfully graduated. From the high graduation rate, we can conclude that most of the international students or immigrants performed excellently at MIT. This is the case not only because MIT has provided a high-quality education to these students, but also because their American Dreams have always motivated them to exceed the limits in their lives. Indeed, what is the American Dream?
            According to Wikipedia, “the American Dream is often associated with immigrants, as the dream of religious freedom, economic prosperity, and meritocracy has historically driven immigrants to the United States. The term is used by many modern Americans to signify success in life as a result of hard work (as in, ‘living [or pursuing] the American Dream’).” As more and more immigrants become prominent figures in the American society, people start to notice and glorify the motivation that the American Dream has given to these immigrants. Whenever we read a commentary about a successful immigrant’s story, we can always catch some phrases, such as, “It is her American Dream that motivates her to overcome all the obstacles.”  Having an American Dream is just like having a goal, which can always bring a person back on track whenever she gets lost on her journey, and whenever she is tired of failures. This dream or goal sets a purpose in life for people and propels them to move closer to their destiny. In fact, there is a strong correlation between having a goal and the success people achieve in their lives.

            Suzan-Lori Parks, a famous American-African writer, gave very insightful advice in a speech at MIT, that we just can’t be frustrated or panic when we see our dreams are still far away. She spent almost ten years on The America Play after she graduated from college. As she said, in the journey to accomplish this play, sometimes she was productive, but sometimes she was not. During that time, she did not just give up on her passion and go out to find an easier job; instead, she firmly held on to her dream and completed the mission with perseverance and confidence. Her attitude was the secret to her great success.
            As Marcia Wieder, a motivational speaker, seminar leader, and life coach, mentioned in her book The Great American Dream Challenge, the secret to make a dream come true is to believe in your dream because it matters to you, and take action to prove to yourself as well as others that you really do believe in your dream.  For example, when Parks first started writing, she didn’t know that she would accomplish so many remarkable works, nor could she envision herself a Pulitzer Prize winner. However, it was always her dream, or her goal in life, that gave her the confidence and determination to pass every crisis successfully.  Although her high school teacher told her that she was not suitable to be a writer, she could still courageously fight against what others thought of her, and she chose her own path. Although her mom asked her to go to graduate school instead of working on her seemingly impossible America Play, she was still determined to hold on to her dream and chose the more challenging journey. Being a writer had been something that had always mattered to her ever since she was a child, and therefore no matter how tough the journey was, she would always try her best to demonstrate to herself as well as others that she believes in her dream, and eventually she turned her uncertainty into a beautiful Pulitzer Prize.

            Langston Hughes wrote in his poem “Dreams,” “Hold fast to dreams/ For if dreams die/ Life is a broken-winged bird/ That cannot fly.” Many immigrants succeed because their American Dreams have given them the volition and perseverance to “hold fast” to their dreams before they dissolve in the air.
            According to the MIT Facts 2006, last year there were 1,687 international scholars at MIT, several of whom are Nobel Prize winners, such as Professor Wolfgang Ketterle from the Physics Department and Richard R. Schrock from the Chemistry Department. When they first arrived in the US, these scholars not only needed to adapt quickly to the new environment and focus on their research, but many of them also needed to take care of their families. What is still keeping them working so hard and eventually winning the Nobel Prize? It is nothing more than their American Dream. Having and believing in their dreams, they know which path they should choose and how they should work persistently to pursue their dreams, despite all the difficulties that result from a transition in their lives.
            Let’s take a look at other prominent figures in other fields. John Liu, a New York City Council member, is an immigrant from Taiwan. Despite the English barrier and culture shock that he encountered when he first arrived in the US, he still managed to transcend all these barriers and become a politician in the US society. How can an immigrant who could barely speak any English end up being an articulate City Council member, and become so successful in mainstream American society? Again, it is his American Dream that drives his ambition in life. Without this American Dream, he might have felt more difficulties in adapting to the new environment and would not have ended up in the position that he is in today.

            Like Homer’s Odysseus, I set sail all the way from China to this wonderful country America hoping to fulfill my American Dream. I still remember that day when I said farewell to my relatives in China four years ago.  I didn’t cry like other people; instead, I stood in the crowd, cleared my throat as if I was about to give a big announcement, and confidently told them not to worry about me, and I will try my best to go to MIT and become the best scientist. Yes, this was my American Dream. Yet, the journey to accomplish this wasn’t as smooth as I had expected it to be.
            The moment the plane took off, I already realized it was going to be very difficult. Lacking an adequate English background, my parents and I were “confined” in the airport for an hour before my American-born cousin came to translate and help us with all the procedures. This wasn’t too bad compared to my life at school. Every day when I walked into my English class, I felt as if I was pushed into a maze, where I could never find the way to follow my teacher. For the first three months, I couldn’t understand what was going on in the class at all. Whenever people laughed, I had to laugh to pretend that I understood. Whenever the whole class raised their hands, I had to raise my hand also, although I had no idea what would happen if I raised my hand. I couldn’t speak nor listen. I was imprisoned in a dark room, where all the walls blocked my sight of the future.
            In addition to all these academic challenges, the process to adapt to a new environment was not easy either. Coming from a homogeneous China, I was overwhelmed by so many people of different races in America. To assimilate into this society, I had to learn about the different culture as well as learn to tolerate it. This wasn’t as easy as reading a book where I could find the answer after several hours; it was a slow process that I could accomplish only by taking one step at a time.
            Sometimes, when I received a depressing grade in my English class, when I couldn’t find the entrance to the American society, I was uncertain about where I would end up after four years. Will I be a high school drop-out, or a successful graduate getting ready for college? Although doubts occasionally whirled around my head, I never let them discourage me or stop me from working. A famous quote from a 2005 TV series, Supernatural, states that, "We can't just have faith when miracles happen.  We have to have it when they don't." I always told myself that if I had faith in my dream, I would succeed one day. I should not give up at any point because it was all these small steps that would build up to the final triumph.
            Other people might spend their summer going to the beach and having fun, but I spent all my summers studying for the SAT. I knew that I would never be able to reach my dream unless I overcame the most challenging obstacle – my inadequate English background. As time passed, I came to realize that thinking about the final result would just puzzle me and sometimes even discourage me. Why not just try my best at every moment and have faith in what I do?
            After four years of continuous hard work, I have finally reached my American Dream. I was at the top of my class in high school; I was admitted by my dream college, MIT, and I have successfully assimilated myself into this multicultural society.

            Indeed, having a dream may be a place to start any mission. As Marcia Wieder states in her book, “There’s never been a more important time to set forth to achieve your dreams. Without dreams and vision, companies and countries fail, and without our personal dreams, hopes and aspirations, life can become meaningless.” A dream can give us a steering wheel to direct us in a borderless sea. However, in order to arrive at the destiny that we desire, we need to continuously travel no matter how many storms we may encounter.  Hard work, confidence and courage, in fact, are the essential elements that will give rise to our dreams. Therefore, when we evaluate people’s success, in addition to paying attention to how their goals motivate them, we need to learn about how they keep themselves resilient and courageous in every crisis – which is the more remarkable part.

            When students step into MIT, most of them set some goals for themselves, such as becoming successful engineers, Nobel Prize winners or outstanding economists. Having these dreams can definitely prevent them from getting lost in their journeys. However, at the time when these students are buffered by an obscure differential equation, or have a serious writer’s block, what should they do?
            “I am totally useless. I can’t even solve a simple math problem. How could I dare to envision myself as a Nobel Prize winner?”
Or “Yes, I am having troubles with writing now, but I will work hard on it and try my best to improve what I am not good at. And I believe my hard work will build me up as a successful future MIT graduate.”
            The latter is definitely a better attitude to face the time when our dreams are deferred.  We should never let our dream “dry up like a raisin in the sun,” as Langston Hughes said in his poem, but always remember that hard work and faith are the ladders to build up our dreams. These ladders will eventually turn us into extraordinary people.

           Looking at the success that our forebears, who were also immigrants, have accomplished in the short history of America, we should definitely give credit to their American Dreams. Just as Conrad Dahlson, a journalist mentions in his article “Success & Motivation,” “America might never have developed its mighty corporate muscle had it not been for the mix of talents from around the globe, immigrants who blended ambition with dreams and the determination to work hard, study hard and make their mark in the world.” In fact, dream and hard work are reciprocals. Having an American Dream, or simply a goal will provide us with the will to work hard in our lives, and later this will and hard work will help us to accomplish the goals that we set. So next time when you initiate a mission, don’t forget to bring those essential “ladders” with you!

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