Picture yourself in a dark, lonely place. A looming figure approaches you and says: “You immigrant.”

Now the biting connotation of this word has been circulating through American mouths for over a century. When we think of immigrants today, we envision people crossing over the Mexican border, bypassing the “Great Wall of Mexico,” built to protect the borders. Still, an estimated 500,000 illegals enter into the United States a year, many times with help from a “coyote,” or smuggler.

But I’m not here to talk about the underground life of coyotes, the U.S. Border Patrol, or outraged Texas citizens. I’m going to talk about the real meaning of the word immigrant, a meaning that instills pride.

As Americans, we are tied in some way to immigrant ancestors (unless of course you are of Native American descent). The ties could go back generations, to the pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, or to yourself. Most Asians Americans are more recent immigrants, hailing from the 1^st to 3^rd generations.

So we should not feel that we do not belong, that we are any less American, for we are the very definition of America, a country settled from abroad. As immigrants or recent descendents, we are searching for something that many Americans have over time lost or given up. We are fighting for the American Dream.

Immigrants leave their home in search of something better, bringing their bright ideas and energy. Asian immigrants in America are more likely to start their own businesses than “natives.” They come with an entrepreneurial drive and something to prove. Also, nearly half of the Asian American population has attained a Bachelor’s degree or greater, as compared to a quarter of the total United States population (2007 Census for those over 25 years of age). Asian American education has improved over the past decade, while the total population has remained stagnant. The future looks bright.

This is not to say our situation is all snowflakes and flowers. A greater percent of Asians Americans fall below the poverty line than the U.S. as a whole.

As a proud 2^nd generation immigrant, I view this statistic with a smile. I say to them, “Hello Immigrant. Go and find the American Dream.”