Believeyourself,dreamwon'tbefar.我的美国梦byRose-LaureLamotheFreedomofspeechinAmericaisdifferentfromthesituationinmynativecountry,Haiti,wheretherightofanyonetospeakisdenied,oryouareintimidatedbythegovernmentauthorities.Ileftbecauseofthelackoffreespeech,andemigratedtotheUnitedStatesonJune16,1990.Thenightthatmyplanelanded,Isaidtomyself,"Mydreamhascometrue."Isaidthatbecausemynativecountryhadn'tgivenmeanyopportunitytoprovemyself,evenafterhavinggonethroughfourteenyearsofschoolandthreeyearsofuniversity.Thislackoffreedomiscausednotonlybythegovernmentbutalsobytheraceproblemsbetweenpeopleofdifferentskincolors,althoughfamilybackgroundmakestheseproblemsmuchworse.Thereisevendiscriminationagainstthosefromdifferenttownsorcountriesoforigin.Iamwomanwhohasfoughtmyentirelifeformyvalues.Mymotherisahard-workingwomanwhodideverythingtomakemeaccomplishsomethinginmylifebecauseIamtheonlysurvivorofhereightchildren.IfeltmylittletownwhenIwasfourteenyearsoldforabettereducationinthecapitalofHaiti.Myschoolwassupposedlyoneofthebestonesthere.Whatevermyeffortsinschool,however,Iwasstillhumiliatedandfrustratedbymyteachersandfellowstudents.Iwasoneofthebrilliantstudents,butnooneappreciatedthat.TheonethingIalwaysthoughaboutwastobesomeonewhowasrespected.IalwaysdreamedofbeinginCongressasawomanrepresentativefromthemiddleclass,asapersonwhowasproudofherfamilyandwhereshecamefrom.ItwassomethingunusualtohaveanywomenfromthemiddleclassinCongress.Idreamedofmakingadifferenceandbeingagoodexampleforallsufferingwomenlikeme.Aftermypre-universityeducation,Itookbusinessandeconomicscourses.Andthreeyearsafterthat,Iwentbacktomylittletowntotrytohelpilliteratepeople.Iwantedthemtoknowtheirrightsandhowtosigntheirnamesbecauseanestimated65to80percentoftheHaitianpeopleareilliterate.TheideatogobacktomyhometownanddothisoccurredtomeasIworkedonanassignmentmyteacherofphilosophyoncegavemeforhomework.WhenIgothome,Isatinmybedroomtodotheassignment,butnothingcame,andIdidn'tknowwhattowritedownorwheretobegin.Afterfifteenminutes,Isaidtomyself,"LetmemakebelievethatIamthepresidentortheprimeministerofthiscountry.Now,IhavetowritesomethingbecausetomorrowIwillhaveagreatmeetingwithallmypeople."ThenthewordspouredoutasifIwasdrawingoutsomewater.Thiswastheinspirationthatledmetogobacktoteachilliterates.LaterIdecidedtorunfortheCongressinHaiti,butitisverydifficulttodosomethingpositiveinmycountrywithoutmoneyandpower.ThoseinpowerthoughtthatanidealikeminewouldneverworkinHaitibecausethecapitalistsdon'twantanythinglikemyideastobeputintopractice.Thoserichpeoplewhohavethemonopolyonthecoffeeandcottondidn'tcarebecausethisprogramwouldneverreallybetheirprimaryinterest.Forme,however,helpingmypeoplewasmyonlyconcern.Becauseofmypopularityandmyinterestinthecommunity,IdecidedtorunfortheCongresstomakesuremyideawouldbecomeareality.Iwasdefeated,ofcourse,forthereasonthatIwasawomanfromthemiddleclass,withoutthenecessarypowerandinfluence.Sincethattime,Ibegantohaveproblemswiththegovernment.Iwasthreatenedbythearmy.Ireceivedterrible,upsetting,anonymousphonecalls,andformorethanfourhoursIwasaskedquestionsbythesecretpolice.Then,IdreamedaboutcomingtoAmerica.Iknewthatthisisafreedemocraticcountrywithacommunitythatmakesimmigrantswelcome,andthatisanexampleforsomanyothercountries.ThesociologicalproblemsofHaitihavetoberesolvedaswellastheattitudesofthegovernmenttowardthepoorandmiddleclasses.Thisisthelastpartofthetwentiethcentury,anditisourtimenow-forallofuswhomighthavedreamedofachanceforoursociety,andalsoforthosepeoplewhocan'texpressthemselvesbecauseofthepowerofotherpeople.Itistimefordemocracyandpeacetobefulfilled,andtheremustbechangeseverywhere,economically,politically,andsociologically.