One man realizes the American Dream

This is the background story of an immigrant who has achieved the American Dream, through a lot of hard work. He is the same man who was quoted in the article about immigrants living in their own community and never learning English or assimilating. DP

By Tony Castro, Staff Writer

origin.dailynews.com: Edwin Ramirez had every reason to feel sorry for himself.

He was barely out of childhood when his mother left home and he became the man of the house, responsible for his younger sisters and brother.

When the family reunited, he was 17 and sacrificed his own education to go to work and help his mother support the family and put his siblings through school.

But Ramirez, now 51, turned out OK in the end. In fact, he turned out more than OK.

He founded two family businesses and helped his kid brother and sisters all get high school diplomas.

He helped build two charter schools for his son to attend. He got involved in his community, in then-Mayor Richard Riordan's call for revamping the Los Angeles City Charter.

He became a PTA leader and Neighborhood Council president. And his kid, the one who inspired him to build those charter schools, is now in his third year in a prominent college studying to become a psychologist.

"Yeah, I guess I am the American Dream," says Ramirez.

Yes, he is. Edwin Ramirez also is an immigrant.
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