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American Dream Essay

Symantha Clarke

AP Language

Ms.Brannon

7 March 2017

The American Dream: A Reality or an Illusion?

At the beginning of the Great Depression, James Truslow Adams defined the American Dream as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” Today, the new American Dream has encompassed a variety of different ideals and values as newer generations have transformed the Dream into something of their own. Many argue that the American Dream is an illusion for minorities, however, ultimately the American Dream is a vision that can be accomplished by people of all races.

Some may say that the American Dream is an illusion that cannot be achieved particularly when it comes to race. According to an article from the Washington Post, a graph created by Georgetown revealed that whites were more likely to attend top colleges and universities in comparison to their minority counterparts who seem to cluster in open access two- and four-year colleges.  The article went on to say that based on the graph, “higher education is doing more to replicate inequality than to eliminate it.” While this may be true, success in higher education for minorities overall has increased drastically. In 2015, the percentage of African-Americans 25 and over who had gained a bachelor’s or higher rose to 20.2 after it being 19.7% in 2014. This reveals that the American Dream is attainable because African-Americans have been able to receive an education and have to the opportunity to gain degrees without the color of their skin completely excluding them from being able to do so. At one point there was no hope for minorities ever being able to get a higher education. However, now they are living this dream now more than ever.

There is also the claim that the American Dream cannot be achieved by minorities because of the gaps between socioeconomic statuses.  According to statistics the median household income for Blacks was 36,544 in comparison to the nation’s 55,775 in 2015. This may be valid, however, this does not inhibit African-Americans from achieving the American Dream. A poll done by CNN showed that 55 percent of Black and 52 percent of Hispanics believe that the American Dream is easier for them to achieve than it was for the parents. This can most likely be associated with the significant increase of opportunities for minorities that are available now and which may not have been for the previous generation. Along with the poll CNN talked about the stories of several minorities who have felt they have achieved the American Dream. 22- year old Breionne Carter lives in a suburb of Austin, Texas and attends a community college. With her dream of becoming an entrepreneur feels that she faces less discrimination because of her race and has more opportunities to chose from. “The world is changing”, she says. “I have the opportunity to do things [my mother] couldn't do." This shows that the American Dream is achievable for minorities in relation to Adams’ definition because they have accessible opportunities available to them based on achievement and their ability--not only because of the color of their skin.

Finally, another claim that argues that the American Dream is unattainable for minorities is because they are unable to get into better jobs like those of their white counterparts. However, Iman Worsham is living proof that minorities can achieve better jobs in the workfield. For her, living in Birmingham, Alabama is much easier than it was for her elders. Just as Breionne Carter stated, she feels as though there is less discrimination and more programs to help minorities like herself. She has a master’s in health services administration, is a case manager for the company Humana and is also studying to be a nurse. Through this, Worsham represents the American Dream for minorities who may feel as though there is not enough representation and shows that it can be achieved by all races.

Overall, the American Dream cannot possibly be an illusion for minorities when so many of them aspire to it and might have already made it reality. Instead, it is a source of motivation for them to do better and achieve more than their predecessors.

American Dream Essay

Vanessa Victorio

Ms.Brannon

AP Language and Composition

11 March 2017

The Reality of the American Dream

The American Dream is a unique aspiration that is offered to everyone that resides in the U.S. First coined by James Truslow Adams in The Epic of America, he defined the dream as a life that “should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” In other words, because everyone is an individual and different, they should achieve a life where they are wealthier and fuller according to their standards. For majority of people today, it is a dream where people are able to achieve prosperity and success through hard work and effort. Some may say that the American Dream is available to whomever wants to pursue it, however, due to racial, income, and gender inequality, the American Dream is only an illusion for many people.

While Adams defined the American Dream during the 1930s, today there are many who believe that it is still alive and attainable. In Tim Roemer’s America Remains the World’s Beacon of Success, Roemer explains and provides evidence of why America is wonderful and is ideal for people that want to succeed. He mentions that the U.S remains to be the “beacon of success” when it comes to higher education, for its universities are ranked as one of the best schools of the world (Roemer 619). In addition, when he visited India, students who lived there told Roemer that they wanted to study in America to achieve the American Dream. The U.S is highly praised for its academic achievements and while this may be the case, Roemer fails to realize that not everyone is able to obtain those opportunities. The Pew Research Team, a non-biased fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping America and the world, wrote an excerpt called King’s Dream Remains an Elusive Goal; Many American See Racial Disparities, that concluded from its analysis that the economic gulf between blacks and whites that was “present half a century ago largely remains.” In addition, there were charts on Median Household Income and Wealth that displayed how the gaps have widened, with whites increasing and blacks decreasing. It is implied from this evidence that blacks face more difficulties obtaining the American Dream as opposed to whites, making it harder for blacks to achieve the American Dream. Thus, the American Dream is an illusion since blacks have to work harder because of their color, for a dream that is said to be attainable for “everyone."

Another reason to why the American Dream is unattainable is because the income inequality between the bottom 90% and the top 0.1% is widening as the years continue. The gap between the rich and everyone else, has been growing significantly, which implies that the American Dream is becoming harder to accomplish for majority of the nation. Data researchers Marc Priester and Aaron Mendelson provide graphs on the amount of money those in the bottom and the top receive. For instance, for the U.S Average Income as of 2014, the bottom 90% receive 184 times less income than the top 0.1%. In addition, in a bar graph that displays the U.S Real Weekly Wages from 1979-2014, the bottom 10% have seen little to no growth in their real weekly wages, as opposed to the top 10% which has increased by about $476. Money can make a significant difference between obtaining a house and barely being able to rent an apartment, so for majority of the nation to not have a well income, it prevents them from achieving the American Dream. Everyone is supposed to be given the same chance and opportunity to achieve the dream, except they are not.

The final reason to why the American Dream is unachievable is because women are also not able to accomplish or reach it. For generations, women have been fighting for equal rights, especially when it comes to equal pay. In an article written by CNN, studies show that typically, women are paid 79% of what men are paid. Not only that, but factors such as where you live, your age, ethnicity, race, and education level can also affect your pay. For instance, while women in general get paid 79% of what men are paid, hispanic women specifically are paid 54% of what white men are paid - which is almost half percent. CNN explains that if it continues at this rate, women won't be able to earn equal pay until 2059, according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research. A nation cannot progress if people are being hindered from what they want to achieve because if women are not able to obtain a rightful pay, this only prevents them from achieving the American Dream at an even greater cost. The American Dream is said to be for all, but it is false if so many factors in today's society are preventing that.

Everyone wants to achieve the American Dream and while it sounds ideal, people who wish to achieve it, fail to view the realities behind it. Certain people are being hindered from it simply because of who they are and the situation they are in. It is unfair if the dream is only applied to one specific group of people. If it is aimed towards one group, why is it called the American Dream? Shouldn’t it include the people who make up America?

Works Cited:

• Adams, James Truslow. "Epilogue." The Epic of America: Illustr. by M.J. Gallagher. New York: Blue Ribbon, 1941. N. pag. Print.
• Roemer, Tim. "America Remains the World's Beacon of Success." The Washington Post. WP Company, 19 Jan. 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.
• Caumont, Andrea. "King’s Dream Remains Elusive Goal." Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project. N.p., 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.

• Priester, Marc, and Aaron Mendelson. "Income Inequality." Inequality.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.

• Ford, Dana. "When, Where and Why Women Earn Less than Men." CNN. Cable News Network, 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 11 Mar. 2017.

AD Essay

Firdaws Roufai

APLC

American Dream Essay

The American Dream is the ideal that every U.S citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. It is nearly impossible to achieve this in America if you are part of a marginalized community. Due to racist policies in the criminal justice, education, and housing systems, it is much harder for people of color to achieve the American Dream. Black children go to increasingly segregated schools, experience significantly less mobility than whites and are far more likely to be incarcerated for nonviolent crimes. The American Dream has always been defined by upward mobility, but for black Americans, it’s harder to get into the middle class, and a middle-class lifestyle is more precarious.

The American Dream according to James Truslow Adams, “In the Epic of America” is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”. However, how can this be the case if America does not allow people of color to reach their full opportunity. According to Sean McElwee, Policy Analyst at Demos, “Black children go to increasingly segregated schools, experience significantly less mobility than whites and are far more likely to be incarcerated for nonviolent crimes”. The School to Prison Pipeline is a system in which students who are forced out of school for disruptive behavior are usually sent back to the origin of their angst and unhappiness, their home environments or their neighborhoods, which are filled with negative influences. According to PBS, a black child is 3.5 times more likely to be suspended than whites, and of students involved in “in-school arrests, 70% are black or Latino. This illustrates the systemic racist institutions people of color are placed in that deter them from reaching their full potential. For black and latino children who are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems, the American Dream does not exist.

Since people are products of their environment, housing segregation inhibits people from achieving the American Dream because often times those in destitute living conditions come from marginalized communities. In order to access this, one needs shelter, food, jobs, healthcare, and an education. Not everyone is given the same opportunities to gain these things, and those that do have higher chances at succeeding. In NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) housing,  46% identify as black and 44% identify as Hispanic, whereas in the Upper East Side, 89.3% identify as white. NYCHA living conditions are often unsanitary and according to The Guardian “A cold home is bad for your health and increases the risks of cardiovascular, respiratory and rheumatoid diseases as well as the worsening mental health.” And since people of color live in these conditions, they are subjected to perform worse academically due to their substandard health.

Lack of integration in public schools deteriorate the American Dream.  Schools in these neighborhoods have students that are predominantly, if not completely people of color, and those schools lack proper funding. Today, many black children still attend schools in racially and economically isolated neighborhoods, while their families still reside in lonely islands of poverty: 39 percent of black children are from families with incomes below the poverty line, compared with 12 percent of white children, according the U.S. Census Bureau,  28 percent of black children live in high-poverty neighborhoods, compared with 4 percent of white children. Children coming to school in poor health or with unstable housing are absent more frequently and cannot benefit from good instruction. Children who walk or ride to school through violent neighborhoods, or who return to these neighborhoods after school, are stressed and less able to focus on studies. Children with more frequently unemployed parents suffer from insecurity that affects learning. These children cannot reasonably be expected to achieve on average like children without these disadvantages, no matter how high quality their instruction. Equality requires that the cycle of low achievement leading to poverty and poverty leading to low achievement be interrupted. Graduates of both races need cultural literacy to compete in middle-class society and the workforce. It is not that the American Dream does not exist for marginalized people, it is simply that it can not, because of racist policies in the criminal justice, education, and housing systems.

American Dream Essay

It can be agreed that America has changed socially, politically, and economically since the 1930s. During that time of the great depression, many Americans found hope in the American Dream— the idea of a richer and fuller life anyone can achieve. While many believe the American Dream is still attainable given the ample opportunities this country provides, the dream ultimately proves to be unattainable for many Americans of lower class.

The perception of the American Dream has changed and the new values are far-fetched. Now people associate the dream with earning a lot of money, the house on the hill with the white picket fence and the two car garage. But when James Truslow Adams coined the term in 1931, its main focus was not wealth but, “opportunities for each according to ability and achievement.” Americans work longer hours than they did thirty years ago (Thompson 2017). And many do it in hopes that they can essentially buy a better life, and pass down a better one to their children, but in a sense this thinking is only diluting the true meaning of the American dream for each generation. This shift to materialism has only led Americans to accumulate debt. Several middle class families get credit cards and discount brokerage house, because there is a “willingness to take on debt” in order to achieve the new perception of this dream (Kamp).

The American Dream is a set of ideals that promote success and social mobility through hard work, but there are several families that despite their hard work have yet to see achievement. The United States has a poverty rate of 13.5%, which is equivalent to 43.1 million people in need (2015 Census). And many of those people will stay in that percentile because there are not enough means to prosper. Barbara Ehrenreich, a writer for the Atlantic, describes the jobs available for many of the lower class as a “trap”. The pay is so little that one cannot accumulate even a couple of hundred dollars to help make the transition to a better-paying job. Often there is no control over work schedules, making it impossible to arrange for child care or take a second job. And in many of these jobs, even young women soon begin to experience the physical deterioration—especially knee and back problems—that can bring a painful end to their work life (Ehrenreich 2014). People argue that the key to overcoming poverty is educations, but schools are a reflection of the community and if the community is underperforming then chances are so will the school. Post secondary education is even more farfetched for some individuals, with tuition rates increasing steadily and wage increases are not keeping up with the same inflation rates.

The American Dream Adams envisioned no longer fits the lifestyle of America today. Instead the dream has transformed and not for the better. It may still be attainable for the predominant class in America but majority of the population struggle to reach the high expectations set. Although the dream encourages people to strive for the best, it prioritizes the wrong values and leaves many of the lower class doubting if the dream was ever real.

American Dream Essay-Lisa Wu

Lisa Wu

Ms. Branonn

AP Language

10 March 2017

The American Dream Mirage

The term American Dream was first introduced in James Truslow Adams’s The Epic of America. He defines the American Dream as “that dream of a land in which life should be be better and richer and fuller for every man.”  which has been idealized and altered throughout history to this day. Currently the Middle Class has achieved the steady American Dream and has yet to realize that their lifestyle is the borderline target in accomplishing the American Dream that is now more difficult to accomplish than ever. Although some say that the American Dream is attainable as America offers many opportunities such as education and life in America is better than life in most other countries, ultimately, for most Americans the American Dream remains nothing more than a dream due to income inequalities.

Some say that the American Dream is still attainable because of the vast opportunities and chances of achieving success, however, income inequality only benefits the wealthy making the American Dream unachievable to the majority of lower class Americans. According to Alana Semuels, a staff writer at The Atlantic and previously a national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, the wealthy benefit from the “system that has helped create their wealth: the private schools, the elite colleges, and the growing salaries for those at the top. And they have little incentive to change it”. This shows how the small population of the wealthy benefit from the current economy and gives back to the services they favor such as private colleges, which creates a cycle of wealth that can only be achieved by the wealthy, whereas the lower class relies on government help and are less likely to have access to such services making it difficult for them to achieve the American Dream. Furthermore, Semuels noted that, “In the 1980s, the top 1 percent of adults earned 27 times more than the bottom 50 percent. Now, they earn 81 times more”. Semuels also adds that although the average national income per adult has increased “60 percent… since 1980”, these gains have mostly occurred at the top for the wealthy, thus giving Americans a false reality of national income. This reveals how the small percentage of wealthy have come to increase their earnings by 54 times, which is a drastic increase compared to the lower class, which has barely made progress over the years., This demonstratesthus showing us that the wealthy only continue to get richer whereas the lower class struggles to make progress. Also this reveals how the wealthy are corrupting our economy and raising the costs of everyday services and higher education, which in turn benefits themselves and devastates the lower class as they struggle to keep up with the wealthy, thus depriving them of the chances of possibly achieving success, causing them to fall behind, and making the American Dream nothing more than a dream.

There are those that say the American Dream is alive as many opportunities such as public schooling has allowed children a chance to an education despite their social or financial status, however, income inequality has created an unfair chance of achieving success and higher level education for the lower class compared to the upper class. According to Paul Krugman, an American economist, and the study done by the National Center for Education Statistics, family status was more significant in determining a student’s chance of finishing college than high test scores. Students who scored in the top percentile but had parents in the bottom quartile were less likely to finish college compared to students who scored poorly and whose parents were in the top quartile. This indicates how income inequality is defining the chances students have in succeeding in life and finishing college, thus making the American Dream of attending college and living a better life, a difficult dream to accomplish for the lower class. Furthermore, in an article published on the Washington Post, Elizabeth Caucutt, an associate professor of economics at University of Western Ontario, states how 6 to 7 year old children “from richer families are more than twice as likely to be enrolled in special lessons or extracurricular activities compared with their lower-income counterparts”. This emphasizes how income inequality results in different access to opportunities and gives children from wealthier backgrounds a higher chance of success as they have more money to invest in their children’s education and future. This supports how the American Dream is difficult to attain due to income inequality and that only the small percentage of the wealthy can afford to live and achieve the American Dream whereas the the lower class are less likely to do so.

Finally, one can also argue that the American Dream is attainable, because the American Dream is not about gaining extreme wealth, but about  living a “better and fuller life” such as the lifestyle of middle class as argued by author David Kamp in The Way We Were, “The Middle Class is a good place to be”. The existence of the middle class indicates that the Dream is still attainable, however, the rapidly growing gap between the rich and the poor and the declining middle class reveals that although the middle class is a comfortable place to be, they have slowly become a minority showing that even the middle class American Dream is dwindling. In her article, Marilyn Geewax a senior editor and economics correspondent quotes the Pew Research Center which stated that, middle-income Americans did not just decrease in population “but have fallen further behind financially, with their median income down 4 percent compared with the year 2000”. This proves how the middle class that many have claimed to be the border of achieving the American Dream is now diminishing revealing that the American Dream is slowly losing its prominence as income inequality causes many middle class Americans to drop into a lower financial status. Moreover, according to Tami Luhby, a senior writer and graduate of Columbia’s School of Journalism, middle class Americans have, “struggled under stagnating wages and soaring costs” and according to Rakesh Kochhar, an associate at Pew, “This is yet another sign of growing income inequality”. This validates that the American Dream is no longer as easy as it was to achieve in the past and that Americans are now either falling behind and losing hold of the dream or are unable to reach the dream at all. Although the middle class is the target in achieving the American Dream, its decline shows that the American Dream is now nothing more than a dream for most Americans due to the growing income inequality.

Income inequalities are normal in a capitalist nation and economy like America, however the currently growing gap between the wealthy and the poor has devastating consequences and is slowly eliminating the American Dream, making it an unattainable dream for many. The growth and control of the wealthy upper class on the economy, the effect of financial status on determining education and success, and the decline of the Middle Class, which are all results of income inequality, justifies that the American Dream is slowly disappearing. Americans look hopefully to achieve the Dream but don’t realize that it is no longer achievable for many. If income inequality continues to widen and the gap between the upper and lower class increases, it may not be very long until the American Dream is completely impossible to achieve except for the extremely rich and wealthy and the American Dream will no longer be merely a difficult dream to accomplish, but a mirage on the verge of disappearing.

Works Cited:

• -Adams, James Truslow. “The Epic Of America”. Print.
• Semuels, Alana. "Severe Inequality Is Incompatible With the American Dream." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 10 Dec. 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2017. <https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/12/equality-of-opportunity/510227/>
• Caucutt, Elizabeth. "The real reason why poor kids perform worse in school – and in life." The Washington Post. WP Company, 28 Apr. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2017. <https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/28/the-real-reason-why-poor-kids-perform-worse-in-school-and-in-life/?utm_term=.25360cb0cc6a>
• Kamp, David. “The Way We Were”. Print
• Krugman, Paul. “Confronting Inequality”. Print.
• Geewax, Marilyn. "The Tipping Point: Most Americans No Longer Are Middle Class." NPR. NPR, 09 Dec. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2017. <http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/12/09/459087477/the-tipping-point-most-americans-no-longer-are-middle-class>
• Luhby, Tami. "Middle class no longer dominates in the U.S." CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 9 Dec. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2017. <http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/09/news/economy/middle-class/>

American Dream Essay

Kassandra Medina

Ms.Brannon

Language

07 March 2017

Attainable or Not Attainable

        In the Epic of America, Adams defines the American Dream as one  that is better, richer, fuller with opportunities for everyone, no matter the background of a person, according to one's abilities and efforts. Based on this definition, The American dream is not attainable today because of the inequalities between class and race, which has caused the dream to become unrealistic to many. However, like Adam's, others may say that the dream is attainable because of the many opportunities America offers for every person who strives for a better life no matter where they come from.

    The inequalities in the social class that a person lives in is a big factor to the success of the American Dream, and many people have found it extremely hard or even impossible to gain the financial benefits they need to fulfill this dream. Millions of Americans are giving up this success all because they simply do not have any way to get past the inequalities that occur between each class. Robert H. Frank represents this inequality by describing it as an “income ladder” that is made primarily by the rich class who spend more than necessary, which later “shapes the demand of those under them”. This second group also spends more than necessary and only makes it harder for those below them as well. This process continues so forth until it is extremely expensive for lower classes to “achieve basic financial goals”. Not only is it harder to achieve financial goals, but many people are finding it extremely hard to find a stable job that will allow them to go forward with their dreams. An essential part of the American Dream is having a job that will allow families to live comfortably and  provide for their families in every way possible, but today that alone is becoming impossible. The American dream promises a better life through hard work and dedication, however many people are finding this dream to be broken because so much work is being put in and there is still no improvements made in their daily life, “despite their middle-class identification and aspirations [they] now fall beneath the established poverty line”.  The American dream is now becoming more about how high your class is, rather than on what your talents are, “..inherited class..usually trumps talent”. (Paul Krugman,591). The only people who can say they achieved the American dream are the rich because of their better finances and easier way of living due to their income.

It is no surprise that race is also a reason why the American dream is unrealistic or unattainable for certain groups of people, primarily people of color. America is supposed to be the land that offers peace and rest  for those who are lost, poor, and yearning for freedom, but recently America has done everything but that. Apart from the economic inequalities America lives by, the social inequalities between every race has caused many people to also take a step away from trying to achieve the American Dream just  because it seems too unrealistic. A huge reason to this is because Hispanics and Blacks are the vast majority of the population in prison making up 60% of its population, while whites only make up 40%. Due to the discrimination against people of color, white people will always find a smoother way out of being in prison, especially because they have enough money for bail. The wage gap between white and black male prove that on average   “whites earn..$19.62 an hour and blacks earn$16.07 an hour”. This inequality between the two race easily depict how unrealistic it is for people of color to reach the American Dream. It is impossible for someone to reach this American Dream if people are going to constantly view them as a criminal all because there were false accusations made due to the tone of their skin. This is an issue that has constantly occurred throughout America and is a huge barrier to many people achieving the American Dream.

Although some may say that the American Dream is not achievable today, however, there are many examples of people who contradict this notion because they achieved what Adam describes as the dream through their hard work, dedication, and by being unmoved by any barriers that their background brought. In Barack Obama’s American Dream speech he tells of the struggle each of his family members went through to achieve their dreams. As Obama gives his speech he speaks of how none of them came from a rich background, or a life filled with easy solutions, instead each anecdote he gave told of person working hard daily just so they may reach their goals. It was through their hard work and dedication that Obama was able to go to school and eventually become as we know him today, the 44th President of the United States. This only confirms Adams definition of the American Dream, but the inequalities  between class and race is still too great for the American Dream to be attainable or even realistic for everyone in America.

    There are many controversies to the American dream  on whether a person is able to attain it or not. The dream itself has been lost over the years because of the immense inequalities that continue to rise as time goes on and things continue to change. The only way people are going to achieve the American Dream for the future is if there are no longer biases towards any race or class, instead everyone should be viewed as having the same capabilities and opportunities no matter the background.

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Adams, James Truslow. The Epic of America. New York City: Blue Ribbon, 1931. Print

Barack Obama American Dream Speech

Confronting Inequality,  Paul Krugman

Fulwood 111, Sam. "Continuing Inequalities Blur American Dream." Center for American Progress. N.p., 23 June 2016. Web. 6 Mar. 2017.

Income Inequality: Too Big to Ignore, Robert H. Frank

Smiley, Travis, and Cornel West. "Promise of the American Dream Is Broken." CNN. N.p., 27 Apr. 2012. Web. 6 Mar. 2017.

Vega, Tanzina. "Wage Gap between Blacks and Whites Is Worst in Early 40 Years."CNNMoney. N.p., 20 Sept. 2016. Web. 6 Mar. 2017.

American Dream Essay- Milena Santiago

Milena Santiago

AP Language

Mrs. Brannon

17 February 2017

                  My American Dream  

What do you think of when you hear the phrase the American Dream?

Do you think of a place where opportunity and hard work leads to success? Where there is the possibility of attaining your dreams with no one there to deny you the right to accomplishing your goals? This is what every undocumented immigrant hopes for, they hope for that American Dream, as defined by James Truslow Adams as, ¨ a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement… It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”. Although the American Dream is in jeopardy for undocumented immigrants, ultimately,  the American Dream still stands as a sign of hope  to immigrants who struggled to arrive to America and worked hard to build a life in it. The American Dream is still a vision for immigrants, where each generation gets closer to success and where there is opportunity for everyone to achieve their dreams and goals. The American Dream will not simply be handed, it is a person’s responsibility to take the initiative and with great effort it will be achievable.

My parents were both born in Oaxaca, Mexico where at that time people lived in extreme poverty. My mother was born in August of 1976, where she was the second oldest child of five and held the greatest responsibilities. My mom tells me how it was always a struggle to wake up early in the morning and walk to school barefoot because my grandparents could not afford to buy their kids shoes that they would eventually outgrow. After school, she would come home and help her mom prepare food to sell in the street. Although my mom was always working to help her family, she always found a way to study. School was the greatest opportunity my mom could ever have up until high school, but after her older sister dropped out of college, that opportunity was gone. My mom no longer had the chance to go to college even if she wanted to. Instead of working at home and earning little to nothing, my mother decided to move to the United States of America where she would work and be able to sustain her family back in Mexico.

Although, the American Dream is in danger for undocumented immigrants who do not have the right to live in this country and take advantage of the many benefits it offers. For example, my parents do not have health care benefits, they cannot find a job the pay's enough to meet with the standards of basic living. My parents have worked so hard to build a life in America as undocumented immigrants and recently they are in fear. They fear that everything they worked so hard to build in America can go away in a matter of seconds as there has been various incidents occurring across America where ICE agents are deporting more and more innocent immigrants who have done nothing but want a better life for them and their future generations.

Undocumented immigrant like my parents may struggle to achieve the American Dream. However, it is my calling to thrive and take advantage of the opportunities I have in front of me.

I am privileged sixteen year old for having the opportunity of attending a free public school, unlike my mother who did not get that chance. I am able to use the resources this city offers with programs like Minds Matter. I have a community that supports me and a family who is willing to do anything just so I can achieve my American Dream.  

I love my parents and they are my motivation to continue fighting for my dream. I will always appreciate their sacrifice for bringing my brother and I out of that cycle of not achieving success. They have taught me to make good use out of every aspect of my life and to never take things for granted. My parents are my happiness, and I realize that the day I graduate from college will not only be my own achievement, but theirs, as well.

The American Dream Harder to Achieve

The American Dream is a dream full of hope that promises all who live in the United States the chance to succeed in life. Gender inequality has been a problem for many years. Women are often seen as inferior to men and less capable of doing jobs that do not involve cleaning, cooking and taking care of kids, putting them in a box of expectations. Regardless, most women are stepping outside this box of restricted expectations and are going out to achieve their own American Dream. While it may be more difficult for women to achieve the American Dream, new programs are helping to change that.

The American Dream as defined by John Truslow Adams in The Epic of America may not be the dream every person is thinking of. Some believe it to be acquiring materialistic things, others define it as having tons of money, others owning a house and the list goes on. However, the original definition of the dream is the dream that life will be, “better and richer and fuller for every man”. This life can be obtained by taking advantage of opportunities given due to one’s own personal achievements and merits (Adams). The problem with the American Dream is that people no longer believe that they are responsible for their own destinies, but instead their lives of being set in stone for failure. This then makes people give up trying to get where they want to go (Schwarz), this proves especially true for women.Yet, at the same time, it is hard to achieve the dream if opportunities are not offered. Women are tremendously underrepresented in businesses, making up only 5% of business owners. Devin Hughes, a speaker, writer, storyteller and author from Washington DC points out how, “women on average are simply denied the opportunity to advance more frequently than men." This means that it is not the dream that is being denied, but their chance to achieve the dream. If this was to change and women had the same opportunities as men to advance in their chosen fields, the American Dream would be easier to achieve for women.  To believe the American Dream is dead for women is to believe that there is no hope for advancing for any female for that matter. There are, however,  people such as my mentor, Lauren Wiesenthal, who operates a women-owned search firm. She is living her American Dream, getting there with a lot of hard work and opportunities. If more opportunities arose for women, more could be able to achieve their American Dream, like she did.

A deterrent of a women’s American Dream can come from income inequality. It is a known fact that men and women do not get paid equally. In fact, statistics show that women are not making enough money to achieve the American Dream(Haltiwager). Make no mistake, no matter the ethnicity of the women, the men of that same ethnicity will on average be paid more than the women. A woman earns around 80 cents to a man’s dollar, that may not sound like a lot but with constant accumulation, if a man earns a thousand dollars, a woman will only earn eight hundred(Hughes). That is two hundred dollars less, is this fair? No. For women to not be able to advance or accumulate as equal as men, is making the dream for women harder than it needs to be.  

The disadvantages women face seems as if no women will be able to achieve the dream, but, programs have been developed in order to help them achieve the dream. Girls Inc. for example, is a program that provides girls in middle school through high school with courses on developing financial literacy skills. This will later help those girls achieve their American Dream by giving them the tools they need to wisely deal with money. Another program, Girls on the Run, develops girl's confidence and teaches them habits of healthy relationships and ways to deal with stress (Mosles). There are even programs that assist in providing opportunities for women to own their own businesses, such as the U.S Small Business Institute (SBA). This program provides women with the resources needed to grow their business and compete in the global market. These are just a few examples of the programs that help women achieve the American Dream they long for. There will continue to be programs like Girls Inc, Girls on the Run and SBA until opportunities for women become more plentiful and equal to those of men.

The American Dream can be achieved, though sometimes it may seem like it can’t. Just because a certain race or gender can achieve it more easily than the other doesn’t mean that the dream is dead. It’s harder to obtain, but it is certainly not dead. With that being said, we should work towards a better America where opportunities are equal for all. Only then, would the American Dream be more attainable for both men and women.