E is…
- 20 Years-Old
- Male, Cisgender
- South Asian
- Indo-Aryan
- Hindu
- Upper Middle Class
- Heterosexual
Author’s Note
E is a junior in college studying mechanical engineering. He is originally from South Asia but has been living in East Asia for the past six years. He went to high school in another country but returned to where he is living now after graduation.
E came to America with tunnel vision regarding getting his work done; similar to how people in South Asia perceived the America road to success would be like. However, he now feels like he has discovered much more than the textbook definition of success used back home. He says he has met some of the most incredible people in America and contends that it really is a melting pot of different cultures that are more adaptable to change than people back home. E describes his perception of the American dream as a world of emotions.
The image above demonstrates a theoretical view of what we and other minorities view as the American dream. The colors are linear, because the journey to the top is linear. There are different stages of life depicted that represent what we are taught at a young age. We begin with reading and writing, then learning to ride a bike and then get a car. It is then expected to go to school and graduate in order to get a successful job. Having children is also incorporated into American norms. It is taboo to not go in those exact steps and break away from societal norms. The discourse we have surrounding American ideals is disrupted by E’s views on success.
The tangible milestones that signify success in America are challenged by E’s belief that success cannot be measured, instead manifesting in many different routes that can take someone where they want to be. The swirls of color around him represent how E felt as though he was immersed in the culture once getting to America. They also demonstrate the extensive opportunities he felt when coming to the states and how he saw the American dream as a feeling of belonging and immersion rather than drawing a road map for how life should be.