A Dream-Proof Wall

Every person has heard at least once in their life about the “American dream”, the dream of a chance for a freer and better life. But what if this dream wasn’t for everybody?

What if the “land of freedom” was not the “land of equality”?

In this episode, Cristina Bruno and Shabbana Shama will try to dig further into what concept is behind the idea of building the infamous wall between the United States and Mexico wanted by President Donald Trump and how the history of this border between the two States reveals how difficult it is to give a definition of what an American is. Reminiscing the past of the USA as a country built on immigration, this question - what does it mean to be an American? - will be the lead for a conversation with Professor Elvira Pulitano, Professor of the Ethnics Studies Department at the California Polytechnic State University. Thanks to her contribution, the listener will be able to reflect on important topics, often cited but never truly investigated.

After a brief summary on the legal framework related to acquiring the US citizenship and entering the country legally, the two hosts will expand on the condition of the recipients of the DACA  program - the so called Dreamers -, the aim of the program itself and how building a life in the USA is not enough to legally be American yet. To this purpose, Cristina and Shabbana will be able to have a better understanding of the discourse thanks to the firsthand testimony of Anali, a Dreamer and activist for the association Define American.

In a hour and a half long journey, through research and conversation, Cristina and Shabbana hope to help the listeners discover matters they only heard about and possibly sparking a self reflection and raise awareness.