Stories of the American Dream

When immigrants leave their homes to come to the United States, it is not because they are expecting a free ride. They do so because they believe in themselves and they trust their dreams will be fulfilled.
Jonathan Mensah — Wherever I go, I want to leave a legacy
“Wherever you go, you will find immigrants. Me being here is part of that immigration story. We contribute a lot by doing our part, being able to serve, to work and enjoy life”.

Jonathan Mensah, professional soccer player, emigrates to the United States from Ghana to fulfill his goal and be one of the best players in the world. While pursuing the American Dream, he took advantage of the opportunities that came his way and turned them into reality. Considering that Mensah is very close to his family, being away from them has been the hardest part of living this dream.

Jonathan wants to leave a legacy serving and impacting other people’s lives and be an example to those who may want to follow in his footsteps.

Learn more about his story in this new episode of "Stories of the American Dream."
Gainkumar Ramsaywack — Leaving a Legacy
Gainkumar Ramsaywack emigrated from Guyana, to the Bronx, New York with his parents in 1975. Although he was just a baby when his parents decided to come to the United States, GainKumar, also known as Nick recognizes the sacrifices his parents went through in order to prove “that you can come here and make something good of yourself.

Nick’s biggest achievement was being the first to graduate from college, in his household, an opportunity his parents did not have back in Guyana. Today, his philosophy of the American Dream is leaving a legacy for his children to continue forward in life with.

Someone once said:
‘Do you know your great-great-great-grandfather?’
I said ‘no, I don’t’.
And the guy said:
‘Do you know why you don’t know your great-great-great-grandfather? It’s because he never left you a legacy.’
Learn more about Nick's Legacy and life lessons for future immigrants.
Alvaro Felix — The Job of your Dreams
Since the moment Alvaro had his first job in the US, he told himself he needed to find something he was passionate about for the long-term, something that made him feel good.

Growing up in La Vega, a village known for its friendly people, good food, and of course "El Carnaval," which is the biggest, most vibrant carnival in the Dominican Republic, Alvaro developed a good sense for art. Meet Alvaro Felix, a 30-year old immigrant from the Dominican Republic whose clever business idea forged his own path to success in the United States.

“Back home dreams are harder to reach as they do not come so fast. I might have been able to buy a car or a house there but not with the ease and speed I have been able to in the US. The United States is the land of opportunity, if you work hard and put a plan into action, success is just a matter of time.”

Learn more about his journey coming to the United States and his way of living “The American Dream”
Diego Saldeño — The Value of Work
In life, you need to set your goals! Once you identify your passion, something you really want, then you can focus on working hard and visualize yourself closer to your goals.

Diego Saldeño, emigrated to the United States in 2008 from his native country, Venezuela. His first goal was to complete his college education and once he finished college he moved to New York City; where he has been residing since 2012.

“My childhood in Venezuela was a very happy one. What I enjoyed doing was share with my friends and play soccer. The problems in Venezuela began around 2005-2006 when the economy began to crumble and the country started becoming unsafe for those who lived there.”

When he graduated High School, he decided to follow his dreams of becoming a publicist. “I began to idealize being a publicist and knowing this is what I wanted, I felt the that should go to the best city in the world for advertising, which was New York.. At the end of his college years, he moved to NY to fully pursue his goal.

Learn more about Diego’s Story and how his success has allowed him to help his family and friends back in Venezuela during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mariano Rivera — Dreams do come true. Part 2.
This week we continue interviewing Mariano Rivera where he talks about the importance of his family’s core values, Hispanic pride, and advice for future generations who are in pursuit of the American Dream.

“Dreams do come true, and we should give 100% of ourselves in order to reach them. We come to this foreign country and we must behave and do things the right way because not only do we represent our families, but our race and our country as well. The American dream is attainable, but one must work for it. When you finally reach it, you must set the best example so that those who come after you, will do the same.

Watch more about his story, in this new video of “Stories of the American Dream”.