What is the American Dream? It's different for everyone. The old lady walking across the street may dream of having a new house. The rich man with a big house might dream of finding true love. For the Chinese child who goes to school perhaps it is only to integrate into society. There are many things that hold people back from their dreams, such as family, age or culture, their lifestyle in general. This story is about an immigrant who tries to realize his dream, but is held back for many reasons. Furthermore, a white man trying to terrorize a city has a dream of being powerful. In his novel I Want to Buy a Vowel, John Welter demonstrates that the road to the American dream is paved differently for people due to ethnicity and religion. The American lifestyle is often stereotyped to be very easy for everyone. The main character, Alfredo Santayana, is a Guatemalan immigrant who illegally crossed the border into Texas. He grew up with eighteen brothers and sisters, very poor and illiterate. “I want to buy a vowel,” he told the first American he met. "(1) He is only seventeen and doesn't understand English. The only English he knows are TV lines, from programs like Wheel of Fortune and Ford commercials. He only knows that on the show people buy a vowel and ends up with a lot of money and a new car. The reason he came to America is because "America is supposed to be the land of opportunity" (141). and everyone can do what they want people in America are rich and give things away. He gets to Texas and sees all the cars parked on the street....... middle of paper...... Eva was upset. This meant they could punish Kenlow making him do the same job that should have been Alfredo's privilege" (311). To be punished, Kenlow must collect a vehicular homicide. The same job Alfredo has to stay in America. Caucasians definitely have an advantage in this country. In conclusion, everyone has a different dream, but some people are discriminated against and have difficulty achieving their dream. Alfredo, the illegal immigrant, was discriminated against and accused of destroying a white man. Everyone didn't like Alfredo because he was the ".satanist" even though he wasn't, and when they found out that the satanist was the white man, the townspeople didn't care that much. Life is full of these discriminations and that is why it is important not to judge people based on their appearance or their background.