Student Name Essays - Television, Oprah Winfrey,

Student Name Cassandra Labairon Composition June 11, 2016 Profile Essay Outline Introduction Attention Getter- "It dawned on me, when I stepped off of that ship, that I would never be able to go back, and I knew nothing about what lay ahead of me." Background Info- Tom grew up Pasang Noi, a small village in northern Thailand. He attended school up until 8th grade, when he dropped out to help his mom take care of his younger siblings. When Tom turned 19, he left his village and got a job working in the kitchen of an upscale hotel in Bangkok. From there he came into contact with a hiring agent for Princess Cruise lines, and soon he was working as a prep cook on one of their ships. He worked for the cruise line for four and half years, and went places he never dreamed of getting to go. But in that time, it became clear that he would never be able to start a family if he stayed on the ship, so one day in August of 1997, while docked in Houston, he left. Luckily, he knew a former co-worker of the ship who lived in Minnesota, and had offered Tom a job if he ever left the cruise line. Tom decided he'd take his chances, and got on a bus to Minneapolis. Thesis Statement: Being an undocumented immigrant has made everything harder for Tom, and although he has achieved success, he struggles with a number of issues daily. Body Topic sentence- Daily life is harder for Tom in every way because he is here illegally. He has to depend on his wife for many things Lease on apartment Insurance Driving Finding work is a challenge Employers have to pay him under the table Most jobs that he is able to get are not great Topic Sentence- Tom decides to open up his own restaurant, but with this comes many challenges. He faced all of the normal issues of opening up your own business "Brighton City isn't what people would consider the hot spot for Thai food." He opened just before the economy tanked Many challenges of the business come from his status His wife has to sign for all of the paperwork Having his wife technically own his business bothers Tom Topic Sentence- The hardest thing for Tom is knowing that he won't see his family again because if he leaves, he won't be able to come back. He has missed out on many things back home His mother had been ill for the last two years, and recently passed away He wasn't able to watch his younger siblings grow up He has been able to stay in contact with some of his family from back home My Grandpa has flown over to Tom's old village twice on mission trips He still receives letters from his siblings from time to time Conclusion Although, Tom has been able to come a long way during his time in the United States, there are still daily struggles that he faces as an undocumented immigrant. Being dependent upon his wife for many basic things, having to open up his own business just to have stable work, and not being able to see his family are all things that Tom has had to deal with. And even though he is a good example of the ladder of success, unfortunately because of his current status in the U.S., he may be on his last rung.