Linda_Chavez

Through out her essay Hispanics and the American Dream, Linda Chavez addresses the seemingly stagnant social and economic status of America’s Hispanic population. Although she states that “Hispanics are seen as the dregs of society with little hope of participating in the American Dream,” there is however an exception in her opinion, the Cubans. Chavez sees the Cubans as a group that has excelled above other Latinos and attributes their success to their hard work, diligence and their adherence to a strong family structure. Cubans were among the first Hispanic immigrants to the United States, and this might have something to say for their higher socio-economic placement, however, they did not make the accent over night. Chavez makes a valid point when she addresses the natural work ethic of not only Cubans but all Hispanics. Since their arrival, Cubans have shown considerable effort to take their place among Americans. They established businesses that they knew would generate revenue and made investments that would even make some of the millionaires. We do not see this among many other Hispanic groups, although they often posses the same work ethic. This is because it was not hard work alone, but diligence accompanying it. Chavez clearly states that the transformation of the Cuban population has happened over the course of generations. Most Cuban families entered the U.S. during the 1960’s and it wasn’t until present day that we as a nation could see the great strides they have made. There is also something to be said for the strict family obligations that all Hispanics, for the most part, respect. Chavez states that “men are expected to work to support their families and women to care for children.” There has never been a time in American history where it was thought that broken families or unsupportive parents were a recipe for success. Though it is possible for an individual to survive and in some instances become very wealthy without parents, in the end there was always some sort of guardian or authoritative figure to guide them. Cubans are surely no exception to the family concept. In fact, Chavez reports that “77 percent of all Cuban-origin families consist of married couples.” This adherence to family not only helped the Cubans to become successful but also allowed them to remain successful. With plenty of children, cousins, siblings, aunts and uncles to run the businesses, the same mentality of ‘keeping it in the family’ that helped make Italian and Sicilian gangsters rich and famous, helped the Cubans to take their seat along side the American Dream. The success of Cubans in America is undeniable. However, there are still many Hispanics that have not yet reached the same economic status. For the most part, they are making progress and have replaced most of the middle class citizens. The work ethic and family values of Cubans are what got them where they are. Chavez recognizes their superiority to other Hispanic groups, but I feel that it is her dream to see all Latin-Americans harness the same potential and take their rightful shot at the American Dream.