The Second World War was very hard on the people of Italy.
By the end of the war, some parts of Italy had been nearly destroyed from years of warfare.
Many people, especially the poor, could not see a future there for their families.
One of these people was a young man named Luigi.
Luigi was twenty years old, and he wanted to work, and buy a house for his family.
But jobs were scarce, and many homes around Italy had been demolished.
One day Luigi read an advertisement in the newspaper that told him about the American Dream.
"Come to America and you will find a job and a house," he read.
"In America everyone's dreams come true."
So Luigi packed his bags and kissed his wife and small baby boy good-bye.
"I will go to America and get a job.
Then you two can join me and we will buy a house and live a happy life," he said as he boarded the boat. "We will achieve the American Dream!"
When Luigi arrived in New York City, there were thousands of other men seeking the American Dream.
Luigi traveled from factory to factory, and construction site to construction site, looking for work.
But again and again employers rejected him.
Sometimes people were polite and apologized. "Sorry, no jobs today."
But other people treated him very rudely and shouted, "Scram, you dirty immigrant!
Go back to where you came from. We don't need immigrants around here."
Hungry, lonely, and depressed, Luigi took whatever jobs he could to make money.
For a few weeks, he shined shoes and worked as a sewer cleaner.
But these jobs didn't pay enough to bring over his wife and child, and the jobs were certainly not Luigi's idea of the American Dream.
Then Luigi heard about a small city with plenty of jobs and opportunities.
The city was Niagara Falls, and it was located about 11 hours from New York City.
So, with just a few pennies in his hand, Luigi boarded a train and headed north.
When he arrived in Niagara Falls, Luigi was amazed at how clean and beautiful it was.
"This is where I will find my American Dream," he declared.
Luigi began searching for a construction job.
But once again, everywhere he went, there were no jobs for immigrants.
Luigi grew desperate. He had absolutely no money, no friends, and no job.
Would he ever find the American Dream?
One morning he went to yet another construction site and asked for a job. The foreman said, "Sorry, nothing today."
Luigi became very angry and shouted, "I need a job, and I'm not leaving until I get one!"
With that, Luigi grabbed a shovel and started to work.
He began helping the construction workers dig a long and deep trench.
The astonished foreman watched in disbelief. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"I'm working," replied Luigi. "If you don't like my work, you don't have to pay me.
But I'm working here today."
Luigi worked harder than any other man all day long.
At the end of the day, Luigi approached the foreman, "So do you like my work?"
"Yes, you do good work." The foreman acknowledged.
"Then I will come back tomorrow, and you will pay me," said Luigi.
At that all the other workmen started laughing.
They had never witnessed anything like this before.
"You are very bold," remarked one of the men.
"I'm not bold," retorted Luigi. "I'm just hungry."
The foreman smiled and said, "Okay, Luigi, you have a job. Come back tomorrow."
Then he reached into this pocket and pulled out some money.
"Here is your money for today. Go and get something to eat, and buy a new pair of boots."
After that Luigi worked every day. He was the first to arrive at the construction site in the morning and the last to leave at night.
Before long he had enough money for his wife and baby to come to America and join him.
Their house was located in an attractive Italian neighborhood in Niagara Falls.
Luigi and his wife eventually had more children.
After a few years, Luigi's family bought a new house that was bigger and very well constructed.
Their neighborhood was near good shops, safe schools, and a new church, which Luigi had helped to build.
His children attended school every day and grew up well.
Many years later Luigi went to the university to attend the graduation ceremony of his youngest son.
During the graduation ceremony, Luigi began to cry.
His wife looked at him in surprise. "Why are you crying?" she asked.
"They are tears of happiness," Luigi said.
"Today I have truly achieved the American Dream!"