ALL-AMERICAN EFFECT THE ROOTS OF LATINO MIGRATION IN THE U.S.
The American Dream Benjamin Franklin once said, “Human felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day.”¹ Such statements have become a modern-day microcosm of the aspirations laid forth by the founding father to future generations of the American people. The American Dream is a perpetual national mentality that has risen alongside the growth of an immigrant-led America. It speaks significantly about how success can be attained through hard work regardless of origin, as shown in Benjamin Franklin’s rise to historical prominence.² 10
Many pundits have critiqued the American Dream’s deceptive ideology, pointing towards a worldly standard of living.³ The presence of advertising and television sitcoms helped carry on such beliefs to an American audience hungry and ready to manifest a world with white picket fences.⁴ Where did this leave the flock of people who would increasingly migrate to the United States in the back half of the 20th century? Were their aspirations aligned to those depicted in American pop culture? Who were they, and why were they coming to the United States?