The Rekindled American Dream: Post-1965 Asian Immigrants

For centuries, the United States, which has often been acclaimed as a land of dreams, has drawn millions of immigrants from all over the world. Like their peers, dreams chasers from Asia never cease to strive for the pursuit of happiness in this country despite the nightmarish experience of their predecessors in the past. The new Asians' American Dream has been rekindled by the second wave of Asian immigration to the United States in the 1960s, starting a new chapter in the history of Asian Americans. The study of the second wave is, therefore, of great help to the understanding of the development of Asian Americans in the Untied States.This paper is intended to provide some explanations about the impetus to the surge of the new wave and then to explore the characteristics of the post-1965 dream chasers. Stimulated by a chain of changes concerning legislation, economy and society, large numbers of Asian immigrants poured into America. In addition to their striking demographic features that have made them different from the old immigrants, the new Asian immigrants have also been distinguished for their enhanced economic and social status, greater endeavors to assimilate themselves into the American society, and more significantly, more impressive achievements accomplished in various walks of life. In spite of difficulties and challenges, Asian Americans seem to believe strongly that hard work, perseverance and wisdom would eventually help them achieve their life goal in the United States: American Dream.