By Jennica Mendoza The American Dream has long been a concept that has unified immigrants from various cultures around the world into a country where hard work is seen as a path (and sometimes a guarantee) to success. In Esperanza Rising (2000), author Pam Munoz Ryan challenges the traditional rags-to-riches

I am a wandering traveler,Rejected by my people.Exiled by my home,A beast of no nation. I traveled to many lands with their guardian patrons,Lands with great walls and giant bears,Lands with tall towers and lions of water,Lands with cast deserts and tiny oases,Lands with jungles and remnants of war, I