(CNN) Srinivas Kuchibhotla, shot to death last month in a Kansas bar, shared a dream with many other Indians I know. His widow described it on Facebook a few days after his killing:
“We built our dream home, which he painted, and installed the garage door,” wrote Sunayana Dumala. “Doing any kind of work on his home gave him immense joy. This was the home that he had built ... for us and any kids we would have. (It was) our first step to starting our family. “It’s so unfortunate that this dream of ours is now shattered.”
My heart broke when I read her words.
That was the American dream she was talking about. The ideal that everyone in this country has an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity. Many Indians hail from humble beginnings in their homeland and live by one decree: Work hard because in America, you can be what you want to be.