(경제) 한 이민자의 아메리칸 드림
(경제) 한 이민자의 아메리칸 드림
Tom Brokaw spent a year traveling along highway 50 for his series of reports on the American character for NBC News and the USA Network. On this Christmas night, he stops near the end of the road in Folsom, California with a resident navigating the nation’s tough economy to hang onto his American dream. Carlos Hidalgo is a modern immigrant American dream story with some scary moments. Imagine you’re the NO.1 Dodge dealer in all of California and suddenly there’s talk that Chrysler will go away. It’s been that kind of a year. “Car business is tough. It’s a tough business when it’s good. Very competitive.”
At age 12, Hidalgo arrived in California from Nicaragua, one step ahead of the Sandanists to takeover.
His family’s wealth was wiped out. Six years later, he started selling cars in this car crazy state. And he’s never stop selling. “570 horse power. Super charge.” But he never expected this kind of economy, especially in California. Not good news for a dealer with one of the biggest inventories on the west coast. His sales dropped by half.
This represents the American dream. You built this, coming as a child out of Nicaragua, you built this.And then suddenly you’re looking at people saying…..let Chrysler go bankrupt. Correct! Put it away! “You know, it’s a great American car company. And there’s no way that we could have no Chrysler Dodge or Jeep.” To stay afloat, Hidalgo made tough desicions. Laying off a third of his staff, emphasizing service as drivers were hanging onto their cars longer. Beefing up his used car and truck sales. He still believes. “You know, I’ve seen the future of Chrysler. And I’ve seen the future product. And I mean, you look at that new 300, you get tears in your eyes. It’s so beautiful.”
And he still believes in family promises, presenting his mother with keys to a new house. “My dad said, you know, before he died, he says, don’t ever forget me and always take care of your mother. And I said of course I will. God bless you !” Carlos Hidalgo’s dealership is at the western end of Route 50. But he still sees the long and promising road ahead. Tom’s entire year-long journey and his look at the american character will be broadcast as a documentary January eighteenth on the USA Network.