Origins of the Book

The motivation for this book came from an unexpected source.

As my son wrote his personal statement for college admissions, he was trying to picture the life he wanted to build for himself. Making money was important and so was a good education. But he kept coming around to being part of a community and having friends – a desire to belong. As a family we’d moved around a lot. He saw us build roots and then uproot them one too many times. As a result, part of his desire to belong came from wanting to put down roots in his community.

This thought wasn’t new. It had first taken hold earlier in high school when as a food lover, affected tremendously by his own food allergies, he decided to open a home-based bakery to serve those with the same problem. Something unexpected occurred. As he honed his message, got orders online, and spoke to his customers, he saw, in his own words, something magical. He discovered that his desire to help others not only had a monetary benefit but also allowed him to serve and build relationships with people. The connection was natural and emotional because of the shared cause.

So, while writing his personal statement, his focus felt different from mine. He wanted roots that my life hadn’t permitted me to build. As a first-generation immigrant to America, I had left my parents behind and hopped from job to job, from city to city, disconnected from my local communities, and wanting something I couldn’t clearly define beyond regular promotions and a bigger paycheck.

That opened my eyes. For years, I had pursued opportunities without stopping to ask what I was ultimately trying to build. My son’s search seemed more fundamental, and perhaps a much more natural place to start the journey.

It made me think about my own quest, and whether I was on my way to achieving it. And as the America 250 celebrations unfolded around me, they prompted a question I had never seriously considered: Was I truly pursuing my American Dream, or had I mistaken one part of it for the whole?

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