Immigration Paradoxes Expectations

265 Words2 Pages
Expectations from Immigrates “Notes of an Alien Son: Immigration Paradoxes” by Andrei Codrescu is a short essay about his mother who sacrifices her milieu when she emigrated from Romania to America. She has expectations for a better life and to gain freedoms she did not have in Romania. Codrescu begins his essay by detailing a paradox that not only affects his mother, but also other immigrants when they arrive in America. Family, culture, and a sense of community are things many immigrants have in their native countries, despite potentially living in deplorable conditions. Many assume that immigrating to America will bring a bounty of blessings, including new opportunities and wealth, but quickly realize they have no one to share those blessings