My American Dream

There is an ancient African adage that states “If you wish to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones today”. As a first generation immigrant to the United States and reminiscent of countless other immigrants who have come before me, moving to a new country literally means starting your life all over again from scratch, but symbolically it signifies a rebirth of oneself and a chance to metamorphose into whatever new creature you aspire to be. Some of the challenges I faced included culture shock, language barriers, financial barriers, but the utmost significant one was the education barrier. I quickly realized that if I could bridge the education gap I would be able to overcome all the other barriers. For myself, having an education epitomized my assimilation into my new life by enabling me to chase my dreams and realize my unique American dream.

There is an old African adage that states “If you wish to move mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting stones today”. I am a first generation immigrant to the United States and like many other immigrants who have come before me, moving to a new country literally means starting your life all over again from scratch but symbolically it signifies a rebirth of oneself and a chance to metamorphose into whatever new creature you aspire to be. Some of the challenges I faced included culture shock, language barriers, financial barriers but the most significant one was the education barrier. I quickly realized that if I could bridge the education gap I would be able to overcome all the other barriers. For me having an education epitomized my assimilation into my new life by enabling me to chase my dreams and realize my unique American dream.

The forty-first president of the United States, George W. H. Bush, once said, “The American Dream means giving it your all, trying your hardest, accomplishing something…” As the years fly by, so does the American Dream. With busy lives, many Americans tend to forget the purpose of the American Dream. Failing to make ends meet, not being able to afford the new iPhone and the lack of success that is not America’s fault. People create their successes and failures based on what they desire. Through a person creating their own definition, not quitting once things go wrong, and creating opportunities the American Dream still floods the streets of America today.

Among many Americans, a common misconception exists. This misconception is the belief that all Americans can achieve anything, no matter where they started from. This belief can be considered the American Dream. I have personally perceived that the American Dream is a malleable belief that changes with every person who wields it. For some, it might be living the high life at the end of Wall Street, finally receiving the job as a lawyer they always wanted, or lounging on a front porch of a country barn, watching the sun slowly creep over the horizon. In reality, only those fortunate enough to be born in a wealthy family with no ethnic oppression can really achieve the American Dream.

The American dream today is a household concept, which states that if a person works hard enough, he or she can make a better life for themselves. This concept inspires countless people every day to overcome adversity in attempt to better their life. On a personal level, I can relate to this dream vicariously through my father. My grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1923 from Bisaccia, Italy. The Procaccino family stood firmly on the belief that following the American dream was key to success, but despite how hard my great grandfather worked, the Great Depression drained the money out of the Procaccino household. John (my grandfather) yearned to become a doctor, but due to his family's financial situation, John enlisted in the US Army during World War II. After completing his duties, he earned an engineering degree and became a New York City engineer. John bore two sons named Angelo and John II. Angelo was a naturally gifted child with tremendous brainpower, but John was more of a rapscallion. With the guidance of Angelo, John realized that the best way to create something with your life was to follow the American dream and work harder than anyone else. John II became an incredible student and eventually went on to be a nationally

The American dream has been a beacon of hope and motivation for the millions of people who have immigrated and grown up in the United States; especially for those of the lower class. Through hard work and determination one could completely change their life for the better while provide better circumstances for future generations. The American dream is defined as, “a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful” (The American Dream). Today, youth of the lower class are finding this dream to be nearly impossible to achieve, even by working hard. For many it has become nothing more than a pipe dream. The American dream is still alive, but it is on it’s final breath; especially for the poor youth of America.

The phrase “The American Dream” is relatively old and has a long history, and although its ideas has changed tremendously throughout the centuries, it still holds great meaning behind it. It not only symbolizes financial success, but having the freedom to live independently. For some, living the American Dream means having justice, material possession, or just pursuing everlasting happiness. The new American Dream requires you to earn opportunity, and is has been more difficult for others based on their social standing, ethnicity, and race to obtain; as opposed to the past American Dream which involved optimism and hope for a better life. Each source clearly demonstrates the need for determination and willpower to overcome barriers and obstacles of life.

The American Dream has many variables in individuals from different backgrounds, depending on what they feel should be achieved. Many of us consider the American Dream evolves around us by what we’re advised to believe. However, the belief of beginning with nothing and ending with the hope of becoming someone has persuaded many people from around the world regardless of their background to migrate to America. Not to mention the obstacles that come along with their journey has assured us to be more conscious of the path we prefer to walk upon. Whether it’s short or long, is optional, since there are limited opportunities, with the growing population. The knowledge and understanding of the diversity around us should be noticed, and always taken

Sixty- three percent of Americans believe they live the american dream, according to a recent report, up from fifty- nine percent in 2011.(Dickler). Some Americans credit hard work and determination with reaching their american dream. Today most people have believed the american dream is about wealth. Financial well being is all well and good, but a decent job with good pay, a decent home, and a good education can also make up an american dream.”When it comes to getting ahead, more people than ever think it is their own talent and hard work,” noted Joseph McCanon. “ There is a belief it’s on you as an individual to make it happen.” The pressure of Finance is american homes though, have put people down and taken away their belief in the american dream. In this “Modern America” the economic struggles have put plenty of pressure on American people. The job market is down, people can barely afford retirement. The american dream is alive, but is only attainable through hard work and determination. These times people live in today that is not always possible, but there is always an opportunity to move forward with the american

The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of a person’s birthplace and class, can gain their idea of success in a country where mobility is possible for everyone. Working hard and pushing forward can lead to the wonders and triumphs of life. The idea of The American Dream has changed over the years, once representing a successful life through hard work, but now representing a person’s “entitlement” and belief that they deserve the easy way out just because they are American.

Americans hold the concept of individuality very near and dear to their hearts, but despite backgrounds and disparities that accompany them, all Americans share one commonality. They possess the ability to achieve the American dream through perseverance. The American dream represents an opportunity to live up to one’s full potential through hard work and persistence, regardless of their background. Citizens that devote a willingness to take advantage of opportunity that presents itself, will reap the rewards of the American dream, even though it might not develop effortlessly. For those presenting ambition to strive for it, the American dream stands welcoming and attainable for all.

It is a well-known fact that the term “American Dream” first mentioned by James Trusslow Adams in 1931 (Wright 197) explains the model of an individual’s ideal existence, which is applied exclusively to the US – the country full of freedoms, possibilities, and opportunities. Nowadays the fame about the American dream reached all continents, and more and more people take the concept for granted dreaming about moving to America and spending the rest of their lives in a more favourable environment compared to their own. As many US citizens, they usually ignore the fact that hard work has always served as a background in the given concept (Warschauer) and look forward to gain all amenities of existence at once.

Nowadays, many Americans wonder if the American Dream is still alive. At one point in our country, people felt that they could achieve success by working hard. However, after the economic hardships and recession of the 21st century, a number of Americans not only lost income, but some also lost their jobs. Although there has been slow progression to improve the economy, there are those who question whether or not the dream of Americans can ever be achieved again. With unemployment levels still high and salaries failing to increase, there certainly is doubt in most of Americans. In his essay, Brandon King formulates ways to redefine and change the way to look at the American dream. After analyzing King’s essay, one can see his view as believing that the dream is still very much intact. As he points out, the American economy is a very complex system that has had downfalls, but there is always a way to get back up from it. Regardless of your economic status (poor or middle class), if one has a working job, it is possible to succeed based on how much someone is willing to work to achieve their goals. As King would agree, the American dream is not only still alive and well, but anyone can reach success.

The classic “American Dream” can be envisioned as a white picket fence, crisp lawn, and two young children playing about in front of a lightly hued colonial style home. Once the ideal of ultimate success within the United States, this life goal is now just an image on a page of a 1960’s chapter within a United States history textbook. Now, America’s strong-willed and influential Millennials have thoroughly and unapologetically redefined the “American Dream”.

Growing up in a family full of healthcare providers, I told myself growing up that I would stir away from such profession. As a child, I have always wanted to be a teacher “when I grew up”. At a young age, my family and I migrated from the islands of the Philippines to the United States of America. When we got here, my big family lived in a small apartment with my grandparents. Life has changed from living a very comfortable lifestyle to my parents having to work hours on end to chase the American dream. For all of my life, I have never felt so separated from my parents. However, I understood that they were working hard for the family. Luckily, I had very caring and loving grandparents who took on the role of our guardians and caregivers.