That vanishing American dream

WITH more than 14 million Americans without jobs nowadays according to news reports, it is not difficult to imagine how many Filipino Americans walk around the streets of America searching for job.

I have contacts with some of them and truly it is heartening to learn that there is really hardship in their homes. Many of them have already lost their homes to foreclosures and some have gone back to the Philippines to pass the time while there is massive close competition of job hunting.

Filipinos, like Americans and other nationals, are wrapped by desires to have enough things such as food, shelter and other matters to survive daily the difficulty in life. With unemployment as the greatest enemy, it is sad many could not meet the needs for their home and family. Their desires remain a vanishing dream and many disappear for some reasons. Many live with the help of the government who designed emergency assistance for several months.

Most Filipinos in the U.S.A. do not dream of becoming a millionaire.
“We do not need to be wealthy. We do not need to drive flashy cars or regularly fly to foreign lands for vacations. We do not need mansions in exclusive villages or be identified in society as truly wealthy. We just want to survive happily with our kids,” they said.

Filipinos are humble and simple people who live quietly with contentment in life. They are used to living simple lives back in their home country.

In this country, the poorest of Filipinos have at least a job more than enough to buy food for the family. While there is difficulty, survival is not an impossible thing. Nobody ever resort to crimes because of hardship. They continue to hunt for job that is not even peeping in the horizon. Others continue living with whatever things available by way of begging, help from friends and relatives and from other sources. It is really life that is not fair for living but there is no other alternative.

One thing good with Filipinos, we do not choose jobs. We handle any kind of jobs when hardship arises and I mean any kind of job. Unlike other nationalities, Filipinos are quick to accept jobs even if it is really very unthinkable and difficult. Nobody runs away in time of hard choice because we always think of our family who must survive with us. We think of our small kids who need better food, clothes and other things in live. There is close family relationship.

Considering that America is a very big continent, Filipinos learned the art of moving from one state to another in search for a better place. They learned it from the Americans who move often time to search for a better place to live. So from coast to coast and traversing across the mountain ranges, rivers and lakes, Filipinos ride on their vehicles and look up higher for a good place.

In most cases, it turns out they reach their goal of finding a new place, something to build a new dream. They discover better opportunities and express joy and contentment. In their new place, they discover new life and chances to survive with comfort.

The elusive dream remains vanishing but there is something to sustain life until new days give in for a better future. Filipinos rarely see relatives, just new friends.