Personal Narrative: Achieving The American Dream

The “American Dream” is a commonly known phrase all around the world. People from all parts of the globe have wished for the privileges citizens of the United States do. Many believe that through hard work and determination, anyone could can achieve a better life within America. Usually in terms of financial prosperity and the right to personal freedom of choice. This dream alone, has been a major factor that attracts immigrants to the United States.

Richard Nixon once stated “The American dream does not come to those who fall asleep”. If not for his words, I wouldn’t have realized the potential that lay within me. As of today I’ve achieved, in my own eyes, what’s come to be known as the American dream. During the past seven years, I’ve graduated from Washburn University, became a molecular biologist, and established a set of values that I live by.

What is the “American Dream?” Is it not the ideal held by billions across the globe that in the United States, the land of opportunity, one can find a well paid job, be able to raise a family and create a better life for both themselves and their kids compared to their living situation beforehand? Or is it the ideal, since the United States is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, anyone no matter what their situation, through hard work can take their share of that profound wealth? Ever since the late 1800s, when the United States emerged as one of the world’s leading industrial powers, millions of immigrants have came to this country to make a better life for themselves. They held on to the idea that in America, they would be able to afford such amenities such as a television, a car and maybe even a home. What many did not realize was that it was only through hard strenuous work would they even be able to survive in America, let alone afford the luxuries of life. Often many of these immigrants wouldn’t live to see the fruits of their labor and only years down the road were the descendents of the immigrants able to live the lives their forbearers initially wanted to live themselves. The truth of matter is the “American Dream” is not possible for everyone. Even with bank loans and credit, some in this world cannot afford to live beyond their means. Whether it is buying a certain car, or renting an

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

To America, the American dream was not living in a huge, fancy house, but to have a “house, a yard, maybe a TV and a car too – nothing fancy, no palaces like the gringos built – just four walls and a roof” (Boyle 29). The typical immigrant does not come to American with the intentions of becoming wealthy. They come to American to have a better opportunity in life. To be able to own a home, work and have a family. According to The New York Times, “The phrase “American dream” was invented during the Great Depression. It comes from a popular 1931 book by the historian James Truslow Adama, who defines it as, “that dream of a land in while life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone.” “In the decades that followed, the dream became a reality. Thanks to rapid, widely shared economic growth, nearly all children grew up to achieve the most basic definition of a better life — earning more money and enjoying higher living standards than their parents had.” Learning that us Americans are likely to achieve the American dream shows that it is all that much more difficult for immigrants and even more so for illegal immigrants. T.C Boyle, in Tortilla Curtain, attempts to show the separation between the American dream of the community of immigrants and the American dream of the whites.

Achieving the American Dream has been the ideal for people living in the United States for decades. People believed that the way to get there was through hard work, also known as the “Protestant work ethic”. The American Dream can vary depending on the person. Some people think that owning a house with a white picket-fence is the American Dream while others think that it is becoming a celebrity with a lot of money.

On a bright sunny Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, started off as an ordinary day where Americans were out working to achieve their ambitious goal called the “ American Dream”. I decided to grab a coffee to start off my day. As I walked by a street vendor, he nicely asked: “ It’s a beautiful day huh?”. I smiled and answered, “ Yes it is sir”. “ What are you up to today? Are you in a rush?” he followed. I answered, “I’m just on my way to grab a coffee and get some fresh air”. He waved as we finished our conversation and I continued towards Starbucks.

Many people have come to America for adventure, opportunity, freedom, and the chance to experience the particular qualities of the American landscape. The American Dream is the idea that every United States citizen, including immigrants and residents, should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. America somewhat provides access to the American dream, it is more so the citizen who provides access to the dream for themselves. Even though they encountered many trials and tribulations, with persistence, people such as Langston Hughes in “I Too Sing America and Anzia Yezierska in “America and I” they were able to achieve their individual American Dream.

There’s a common knowledge among the children of immigrants - we have to achieve the American Dream. The American Dream is comprised of an incredible job, a luxurious

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 beginning of it all 1980, (month and date unknown) 37 years ago. The journey for a better life began. My mom was only 11 when they decided to immigrate to America, when she herself also decided to go to America. She knew in Vietnam there would be no future for her and she wanted a life improvement. She understood all the hardships that they were facing in Vietnam and how in America, it was vastly better. She heard stories from many people in Vietnam about America, and all the joy and hope there was compared to where she was. Although, she was young, she had set her mind onto doing everything she could to support the family in order to get to America. She wanted to live in place that didn’t have horrible health care,

As an immigrant, life was very difficult financially. With just the clothes on their backs my parents left their home country, Haiti, and came to the US in pursuit of the American Dream. They wanted a better life for my sisters and I, however, we faced many challenges growing up. It was difficult adjusting to a new country, language, and culture. My parents did not speak English nor did they have a formal education, so it was difficult finding a stable job to sustain us. We became dependent on public assistance in order to survive. We lived in a low-income, underserved area and attended low performing schools. Our family income was well below the poverty level but this did not stop me from pursuing my dreams. I was determined to not let my

There has always been stories and films about many people coming from everywhere around this vast world to America so that they can make it big, achieve their dreams, and become extremely wealthy. The concrete definition of the word, "American” is someone who is a citizen of the United States, but it is not the only  definition of the word American. An American is someone who is not satisfied with what they have. Natives of the United States do not realize how lucky they all are. There are some people that have more things than others, but are still not completely satisfied with what they have. There are examples of this phenomenon in the movie,” The Queen Of Versailles", the book “The Great Gatsby” , and many other sources. One of the things that help mold someone into an American is the American Dream itself. The American Dream involves goals of success, whether it's a goal for wealth, material possessions, or anything else you could possibly dream of.

The American dream can be defined as the promise of living in America with opportunities for all, regardless of social class, and according to their ability and effort (Schnell, 2010). Proponents of the American dream believe that there is equal opportunity for all in the American society to achieve success. Success is not pegged on social status, race, or creed, but rather on an individual’s own efforts. The definition of the American dream has unique interpretations to different people. The most common meaning is that of a life of abundance and prosperity, characterized by economic rewards that enable one to live a middle class life of comfort. Here, success is measured by material possessions such as beautiful homes, cars, a high

Like many Americans today, a prosperous life is something many immigrant families endeavor to achieve. Whether you are native to this land or a legal immigrant, many are pursuing the idea of the American dream. Whereas every dream may be different, the journey to each dream becomes a discovery that is both