The American Dream entails the belief that any individual, regardless of their place of birth, class, race, or ethnicity, can achieve their version of prosperity in a society that upholds upward mobility. American society constitutes a society that provides this type of mobility, especially in the economic sector. To support the success, the US introduced the Dream Act of 2001, which aimed to create a seamless process by which individuals would apply for a conditional residency that would eventually grant them citizenship to live in the US permanently. While the act seemed to promote immigration, it introduced several stipulations, such as allowing undocumented young people to join the military or college to gain their citizenship. Several public seat-holders have refuted these stipulations as they claim the American Dream Act will increase illegal migration through undocumented and unauthorized immigrants. Ultimately, the American Dream Act needs to be supported so that current, former, and future dreamers can have a fair opportunity to achieve upward success.
The American Dream Promise Act has boosted the US economy, showing that most immigrants contribute to the country’s wealth. In 2021, about 46.5 million immigrants had acquired permanent citizenship in the US (Gooden & Myers, 2018). These individuals have profoundly contributed to American society’s art, business, and culture. For instance, 17% of the total civilian labor force constitutes immigrants. In some industries, such as those of aged care, they constitute two-thirds of the workforce (Gooden & Myers, 2018). Generally, American Dream Act has strengthened the American economy by promoting the immigration of individuals who contribute to sectors such as labor.
The American Dream Act considers the military a stepping stone towards achieving financial success for most immigrants, indirectly strengthening the US defense systems. One of the Dream Act’s promises is the availability of military jobs for both documented and undocumented immigrants (Gooden & Myers, 2018). Alongside the military services, immigrants who make it to the Armed Forces experience added benefits such as attending college without having proper citizenship.
While it appears the Dream Act supports only immigrants, the promises made by the policy also favor other American minorities. The American Dream act promotes freedom and equality for all minority groups, whether American citizens or not. The policy promotes opportunities for all individuals to accumulate wealth and live dignified lives (Gooden & Myers 3). In anti-racial campaigns, the American Dream is often quoted, especially when the involved parties want to emphasize the importance of equal treatment in all sectors of the US.
In contrast to many supporters of the American Dream Act, some individuals claim that the policy promotes the entrance of illegal immigrants. The opposing parties believe that the Dream Act provides a shortcut for immigrants to become US citizens. These individuals state that the Dream Act allows unauthorized youths, who fall in the category of illegal immigrants, to work, study and contribute to the American community. Additionally, the opposers claim that unauthorized immigrants should be deported to their country and that the bill should be abolished or even renamed a “Nightmare Act” as it encourages foreigners to enjoy US citizens’ privileges (Gooden & Myers 11). However, according to the Department of Homeland Security, the number of unauthorized immigrants has remained constant, 11.4 million from 2015 to 2018 (Gooden & Myers, 14). Generally, the opponents support the dismissal of the policy as it would increase the number of illegal immigrants.
In conclusion, Dream Act hosts several benefits to the country, citizens, and immigrants, making it viable for progression into a bill. The Dream Act has increased the American labor force and military service men and has promoted unity and freedom among US citizens. However, some claim that the Dream Act provides a shortcut toward citizenship and increases illegal migrants. These claims are refutable since the number of unauthorized immigrants has remained relatively constant, showing no evidence of the Dream Act’s contribution towards illegal immigration.
Work Cited
Gooden, Susan T. ; Myers, Samuel L. (2018). The Kerner Commission report fifty years later: revisiting the American dream. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 4(6), 1-17.