So many time have I heard the phrase, "The American Dream is problematic," and then the person goes on to list circumstances or issues that could have been overcome with the proper perseverance and patience. My biggest role model, my dad, proves exactly this every day.
Hamir Patel, my dad, came to this country when he was 13 years old. He did not grow up with the same privileges my parents are able to give to my sister and me, but he worked hard every day to get to where he is today. And I will always be grateful to both of my parents for giving me the life I have.
My dad worked in the fast food industry for as long as I could remember after struggling to find a job after college. We grew up watching dad work long hours in a job he did not like very much. Nowadays, people get picky about what they want to do and don't put in the work at a job they may not like even though they need the money. They think that better opportunities lay ahead, but what they don't understand is that you have to work toward those opportunities.
A reason the American Dream is so problematic is that the only jobs open are at the bottom, and people don't want them. But if you don't start from the bottom, you cannot make it to the top. My dad took whatever job was offered to him and ran with it, even though it was not even close to what he studied in college. But when you need to support your family, you don't get to be choosy. You roll up your sleeves and work. That's the American dream. Working toward a better future. And that's exactly what he did.
When I was 16, my dad quit his general manager job in order to pursue his dream of being a chef. Had he tried to do this before, it would not have worked out. You cannot just jump into large endeavors, which is the reason so many people fail. But he put in the time for years and years and was finally ready to branch out on his own. He started small, once again. He held cooking classes in people's homes where a percentage would go to a charity of their choice.
From there he moved on to catering from our house. As his following started to get larger, he auditioned to have a pop-up restaurant which then led to a full-time restaurant in downtown York. It took 4-5 years on his own until the restaurant came along. My dad never gave up. He didn't give up after college when things didn't work out between jobs when he was in fast food, and he didn't give up his dreams. He now has an amazing restaurant that people all over York, PA are in love with.
My dad is a true inspiration. He started from the bottom and worked his way up even though it took so many years. Things are not supposed to just happen overnight. That is not how dreams are achieved. In my eyes, my dad is the American Dream. People can say that the American Dream is problematic, but when I look at people like my dad, who does everything for his family and has worked hard every day since coming to America, I know that it lives on. He never had it easy. He just had the patience and perseverance.