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1. Sabrina Franek
Rhetorical Theory
Dr. Swiencicki
12/6/11
The American DREAM
Unless you are a Native American, you are an immigrant, or a descendant of
immigrants. The United States of America became the United States due to the
overwhelming population of immigrants who came to this land, against much, if not all,
of the Native American’s will. These immigrants stayed, set up home and government,
threw a revolution, and then the rest was history. Now that the United States has a
stabilized population, it seems that the immigration policy is now so debated with rage,
that it causes vitriolic comments on both sides of the fence. Yes, if someone comes here
illegally, most Republicans would agree that this is a crisis of national security, and a
penalty must be paid. However, what of the people who came here when they were
young, did not even know that they were an illegal immigrant, went through the normal
kindergarten through high school system, and then when it came to college, they were
threatened with deportation? This actually happens throughout America, and it is the
reason why many push for the DREAM Act to be passed, a law that would end this
dilemma.
Using Sonja Foss’s “Ideological Criticism”, I will analyze the path of the DREAM
Act, from the core beliefs of this nation, to the flip-flopping moves of Senator McCain.
Who is excluded from living the American dream, and what does it mean to be truly

2. American? Must we now exile those that we took in so readily in the past? Should we
covet the dream for ourselves, and forevermore stifle even the cream of the crop of
youths who could go on to become doctors, scientists, teachers? Is America like an
elitist club, where the only ones that are truly free are the ones that were born here?
The debate rages on
It is first sufficient to analyze something that is so central to the United States,
that it has become a very symbol of our nation; the Statue of Liberty. As Sonja Foss has
stated, “the critic looks beyond the surface structure of an artifact to discover the beliefs,
values, and assumptions it suggests” (209). The Statue of Liberty, a torch for freedom,
welcoming people into the New York City harbor, has greeted many immigrants.
However, there is also a plaque underneath the statue with a poem entitled “New
Colossus” that was written by Emma Lazarus. The poem calls the statue a “Mother of
Exiles”, and reads:
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
This nation was founded as a welcoming beacon of all, a land free of the crown, and of
the persecution many people faced in their places of origin. This was once a hegemonic
ideology, but has since then become a lost core value to many. Observe the Statue of
Liberty, as Foss would argue that it is an important artifact, since “every artifact takes an

3. evaluative position on various subjects simply by the rhetorical choices that were made
in creating that artifact” (214). The lady, clutching her book, and holding her torch high,
looks across the ocean, wishing for her form to welcome those who came here after an
arduous journey. She tells offshore lands to keep their “pomp”, their splendid display of
jewels and governance. She asks for the weak, those that are perceived to be the very
garbage of the nation, tossed in a sea of turmoil and incertitude, to be sent to her for
safety! She will light the way, and welcome them to a nation of golden opportunity, a
place that is welcoming to every outcast! How the times have changed. Freedom today,
is restricted to those that were born here. Those that were brought here by no fault of
their own are still guilty for the crimes of their parents, by choosing to flee a land of
impoverishment.
Now, to the present day policies on immigration. Sonja Foss highlights some
judgments on immigration as a way to exemplify how ideology is a “mental framework”.
Some such assumptions, that “too many people come to our country... Immigrants only
come here to live off welfare... Immigrants fill up inexpensive housing and take jobs
from people who need them... The government must send back illegal
immigrants” (209) are all too common within today’s United States. Some websites,
such as “The Conservative Republican”, hold nothing but contempt of illegal immigrants,
calling them disrespectful “during their protests for amnesty, they show the true hate
and contempt they have for this country, our citizens, and the brave men and women
that have given their lives to ensure our freedom. These illegals, and anyone protesting
with them, by their actions show that they will never be productive citizens of the United
States. In fact, they will certainly be a constant pussing boil on the body of America!”

4. They state on their website that their values are “godliness, wisdom, liberty, and
freedom”, to name a few, yet they use language such as “America is being raped and
pillaged by the illegal intruders”? This is a stark contrast to the welcoming image that
the Statue of Liberty portrays, as well as the freedoms that our country was founded on.
However, what of the children of illegal immigrants? The DREAM Act, an
acronym for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors aims to help those that
are labeled the “1.5 generation” on their path to legal citizenship. The Immigration Policy
Center’s webpage on the DREAM Act outlines the importance and need of such an act.
It tries to counteract the hegemonic response that all illegal immigrants should be
deported, and aims to help some that qualify obtain citizenship.
The website first starts with a rather heart-felt appeal in a way that aims to break
the grip that the hegemonic policy of anti-immigration holds on even those that came
here not because they wanted to, but because their parents wanted to. It reads:
Each year, approximately 65,000 undocumented students graduate from
high school, many at the top of their classes, but cannot go to college, join
the military, work, or otherwise pursue their dreams. They belong to the
1.5 generation - any (first generation) immigrants brought to the United
States at a young age who were largely raised in this country and
therefore share much in common with second-generation Americans.
These students are culturally American, growing up here and often having
little attachment to their country of birth... Many don’t even know that they
are undocumented immigrants until they apply for a driver’s license or

5. college, and then learn they lack Social Security numbers and other
necessary legal documents. (Immigration Policy Center)
The goals of the DREAM Act are simple. It aims to allow those who immigrated here
under the age of sixteen to apply to college, or to the military. The only governmental
help they may receive are work study programs, and if they serve in the military for at
least two years, or get basic credentials from any college, they are then allowed to
embark on the legal path of applying for citizenship without worries of deportation.
Supporters maintain that this would not help military recruitment, but give these people
an education and a degree that they can use to become skilled and independent
workers in America in the aim to break the ideologies and taboos surrounding all illegal
immigrants. Considering all that the Statue of Liberty stands for, who would not allow
the skilled who have already assimilated to our culture to be a part of this noble right to
freedom and the American dream?
As much as this Act would help only the educated youth who were brought to
America by their parents, there is a huge hegemonic struggle that is against the
DREAM Act. Foss states:
Some ideologies, however, are privileged over others in a culture, and
ideologies that present oppositional or alternative perspectives on the
subjects to which they pertain are sometimes repressed. The result is a
dominant way of seeing the world or the development of a hegemonic
ideology in certain domains.Hegemony is the privileging of the ideology of
one group over that of other groups. (210)

6. Foss then states that “to maintain a position of dominance, a hegemonic ideology
must be renewed, reinforced, and defended continually through the use of rhetorical
strategies and practices. Resistance to the dominant ideology is muted or contained,
and its impact thus is limited by a variety of sophisticated rhetorical strategies” (210).
This can be seen directly in the flip-flop of Senator John McCain.
In Andrea Nill Sanchez’s article, “Former Sponsor of the DREAM Act John McCain
Accuses Reid of ‘Playing Politics’ with Immigration”, Sanchez pointed out that “McCain
not only co-sponsored DREAM Act legislation in the not-too-distant past, he was also
behind comprehensive immigration reform efforts that included a path to legalization.”
Within McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, McCain even spoke directly out to Latino
voters, stating “I do ask for your trust when I say, I remain committed to fair, practical
and comprehensive immigration reform, I mean it. I think I have earned that trust.”
Senator McCain has his allegiances to the Republican Party, however. During his
campaign, the immigration policy was starting to become a harsh topic for debate, and
still currently is. There are a lot of truculent words being said amongst Republican
members, and the fact that McCain’s, they would say, relaxed policy on immigration did
not fit, he was slandered by the party as being “too liberal”. Republicans for the most
part, now pride themselves on their immigration hawk-like agendas. The Republican
Party has long held a firm and rigid policy against immigration, including talks of a
stronger fence, as seen by Herman Cain’s statement of “when I’m in charge of the fence
we’re gonna have a fence. It’s gonna be twenty feet high. It’s gonna have barbed wire
on the top. It’s gonna be electrified and there’s gonna be a sign on the other side that
says it will kill you.” Latino Ruiz outlined Cain’s speech, as well as reactions from the

7. audience in her article, “Latino Republicans ‘Outraged’ by Electrified Border Fence
Comments”. When Cain made this speech, people unanimously cheered in unison after
this point. Later, the majority of Americans say that they were not pleased with this idea;
that it was far too radical.
Why did the Republicans supporting Cain cheer? They are part of a collective of
people that holds a very negative view on immigration, in particular, Hispanic
immigration. Within Stephani Ruiz’s article, she interviews Garcia Blase, a Hispanic,
says that she was “heartbroken” because “it feels like an uphill battle. We’re fighting
bigotry and it sometimes feels like the hatred is so strong and palpable.” Cain later
apologized, but he states that the electrified fence is still an option.
Back to Senator McCain. During his presidential campaign he was slandered for
being “too liberal” on the immigration front by his own party members, as can be seen in
CNN’s article, “McCain Tangles With Conservatives”. With a growing need to swing
more republican voters to his side, McCain did something that he has oftentimes done
before; he flip-flopped. McCain chose to stop his support of the DREAM Act, and then
stated that, “obviously, in cases where people have been here for many many many
years that would be a path to citizenship, but they would still have to pay a penalty
because they came illegally. It’s not fair to people who came legally.” He also now
insists that first borders must be secured; “we’re going to have to secure the borders
first, and then enact comprehensive immigration, but the border has to be secured first.”
The idea of citizenship is being put off. Instead of striking out a viable path too
citizenship for some immigrants, especially the educated youth, the lens is put on
border security, and a notion of punishment to keep others out. Would the Statue of

8. Liberty be favorable of harsh punishment, even for the brightest youth, who came here
not based on their own necessities, but by their parents’ choices?
Senator John McCain is a moderate Republican, but has recently been trying to
define himself as an immigration hawk. He has taken on the Republican Party’s
hegemonic ideology against immigration. He has flip-flopped before to accommodate
Republican ideological views. Some of his flip-flops include issues on: defense
spending, illegal wiretapping, nuclear waste storage, torture, offshore drilling, tobacco
industry regulations, teaching intelligent design, and gay marriage. The rest can be sen
on Think Progress’s “John McCain’s 44 Flip-Flops”, by Pat Garofalo.
All of these are hefty issues to suddenly change sides, and these are not even all
of them! McCain, once a proud supporter of the DREAM Act, chose to give into the
hegemonic ideologies of the Republican Party simply to gain popularity in the poles. He
supported the DREAM Act in 2005, because it would only allow high-achieving students
access to college or the military to become legal United States citizens. He flopped later
on, starting in 2007. When it came time to vote on the DREAM Act, he decided to skip
the vote, and to not show. He was in Congress just a few hours before voting for
another bill. He later stated that, “I would have opposed it on the Senate floor last week
if I had stuck around for the vote.” It seems that not only did he change his mind, but the
vote seemed beneath him to give, or that he did not wish to be affiliated with the vote.
Perhaps, even, the awkward moment of everyone seeing that he has changed his mind
would have humiliated him.
McCain may have gained more Republican voters in his move to define himself
as an immigration hawk, but he has certainly disappointed many supporters of the

9. DREAM Act, mainly the Latino population, as well as those dealing with the education
system, who were largely supporting the DREAM Act. This directly shows Foss’s point
that a hegemonic ideology must assert itself, and will push away any opposing ideology
as inferior. Almost as if he were being bullied into submission, McCain now disapproves
of the DREAM Act, and has rejoined the ranks of many Republicans who assume that
all immigrants are unfavorable.
What of the high-achieving students, who spent most of their entire lives in the
United States schooling system? Should they be sent to a country that they no longer
remember? They could be a valuable worker in the community, and many would have
high goals and aspirations. Those that chant with such fervor that immigrants are
monstrous law-breakers should chant into the face of the child who had no say in
coming here. They should look into the eyes of the boy or girl who cannot even
remember the country that they were born in, who worked so hard to get high grades in
school to get themselves out of their economic situation. Will those people be allowed a
chance at the American Dream, or will they be deported, forevermore unable to reach
their goals in life?

10. Sources Cited:
"The DREAM Act." Immigration Policy Center. American Immigration Council, 18 May
2011. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/dream-
act>.
Foss, Sonja. "Ideological Criticism." 209-21. Print.
Garofalo, Pat. "John McCain's 44 Flip-Flops." Think Progress. Center For American
Progress Action Fund, 12 Sept. 2008. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://
thinkprogress.org/report/mccain-flip-flops/>.
Grijalva, Barbara. "Dream Act Chances Not Good This Time, According to McCain."
News 13 KOLD. WorldNow and KOLD, 1 June 2010. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://
www.kold.com/global/story.asp?s=12524574>.
"Illegal Immigration." The Conservative Republican. The Conservative Republican,
2010. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://www.vailmediagroup.com/crweb/
CR_Illegal_Immigration.htm>.
"McCain Tangles with Conservatives." CNN Politics. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.,
05 Feb. 2008. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://articles.cnn.com/2008-02-05/politics/
conservative.backlash_1_john-mccain-conservative-base-rival-mitt-romney?
_s=PM:POLITICS>.
Ruiz, Stephani. "Latino Republicans 'outraged' by Electrified Border Fence Comments."
KGUN9, On Your Side. KGUN9, 19 Oct. 2011. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://
www.kgun9.com/news/local/132137573.html>.