Feature: America not as it's promised to be, say immigrants

CHICAGO, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Almost all the immigrants came to the United States full of dreams. How are they and their children faring after decades living here? Several first and second generation American immigrants have shared their thoughts with Xinhua.

"I only knew America from television, but I was most surprised by the systematic racism." 41-year-old Karla Thomas came to America from Trinidad 24 years ago to study at University of Mississippi, and has lived here ever since. "The segregation is like no other place anywhere else in recent times. In Trinidad, my neighborhood and friends were of a variety of races, Indian, Asian, Black, Caucasian."