The majority of information regarding immigrant families on the web and television usually has to do with legal status; deportation, etc. (just do a quick Google search on immigrant families). For me, most of this information has very little to do with my family while growing up or my nuclear family now.

I have always believed that real life experiences are less often written about than what the media has decided we want to hear about most. So, while there is constant talk about immigrants stealing American jobs, not learning English or getting deported, I’d like to hear more about those who are becoming successful without having to sacrifice their identities. Or, I’d like to read about parents who have figured out simple ways to keep their children connected to their country of origin, while also encouraging American patriotism.

Anyway, this also got me thinking about the overall perception of immigrants in the US. I think back to my teenage years and I feel that there has been a slight improvement on the way that I (or my heritage) am perceived. I recognize that there may be other factors to this change (i.e. lack of accent, living in a more diverse environment, etc.), but I am hopeful that people have progressed their perception of immigrants – I’m sure it helps that our president is the son of an immigrant .

What do you think?

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