Essay #4

The Quote Sandwich:

          In Spare Parts, by Joshua Davis, the author explains the story of four Mexican immigrant teenagers, three of whom are undocumented, who have to struggle to reach the American Dream. They attempt to reach this dream by competing in the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) robotics competition. One of the teenagers, Oscar, an undocumented cadet in the JROTC program at an under-served West Phoenix high school called Carl Hayden, attempts to enlist in the military. Despite being a top cadet, he is unable to enlist because of his immigration status. Davis states: "He believed he was dutybound to give back to the United States. He was receiving a free education, and his family was able to afford a home that didn’t leak. The United States had been good to him and he wanted to show his appreciation. He had only been in the United States for about two years, but he viewed himself as an American now. Particularly after September 11, 2001, he felt that it was his obligation to defend and possibly even die for the country that was his new home" (51).  Oscar wished to enlist in the army due to his love for the country and his wish to protect it. Even though Oscar couldn’t enlist because he didn’t have a greencard, he continued to work hard to become the best of the best by helping the ROTC. Despite not being able to enlist, he felt that his duty to the United States did not stop. Like Oscar, my grandfather’s American Dream was to live a better life and fight for his country so he could give back to it. They both sought better opportunities and got them in the United States, consequently they both felt gratitude toward the country and wanted to fight for and work hard to protect it.