The Importance Of The American Dream

America, known as the nation of chance and flexibility, where any man or lady can come and have a reasonable shot at accomplishing the coveted objective usually alluded to as "The American Dream." To many, effectively getting the American dream implies having a steady 2 parent family, with money related success, and rich in political and social opportunities. This "fantasy" be that as it may, is all the more effectively accomplished by specific individuals over others, and in spite of the fact that America prides itself on being the place where there is the "opportunity" and "correspondence", those words serve all the more unequivocally as a wellspring of false reverence and incongruity. One's race, economic

We have all heard of this intense rollercoaster ride that we are on called the American Dream. The term was coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 defining it as “dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” Since it’s arrival, the Dream has evolved from a pursuit towards “freedom, mutual respect, and equal opportunity” (Shiller) to later one of greed described by Shiller as being “excessively lustful about homeownership and wealth” beginning in the 1960s. Traditionally, the American Dream included features of a nuclear family, that is one with a breadwinning father, a housewife, and two kids, owning a white picket fence home, thriving without financial worries, and a happy family. There has been a shift in focus for the Dream caused by the Millennial generation and in turn they have included features that place an emphasis on equality in all aspects of their lives from family life to the workplace placing their own twist on the Dream. The American Dream has evolved over time to include equal opportunities, college education, and happy family.

What is your dream for america? The american dream is comprised of many things. It is made up of things that make america better. Not only that, it is made up of things that makes us americans. The main points of the american dream is hope for a better nation, Freedom, and diverse opportunities for all that come to america.

To achieve the American Dream, one must work hard and have the dedication to be successful. There are myths relating to this dream leaving lower class members to wonder if the dream exists for them. People in lower class are told if they want to be successful they must put in hard work and true effort. Once they do, they see that they are remaining in the same position they started in. In “Class of America-2012,” Gregory Mantsios states the ideas of class in the US and explains them. One myth addressed in this selection is, “Everyone has an equal chance to succeed. Success in the United States requires no more than hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance: ‘In America, anyone can become a billionaire; it’s just a matter of being in the right

The “American Dream” has always been this country’s greatest and most successful form of propaganda. The notion of the “American Dream” has bred entitlement since the term was coined by James Truslow Adams during the 1930s. Many Americans have, and still feel, entitled to achieving the “American Dream” even though this phrase has never been attainable for all members of American society. Despite Adams hoping the “American Dream” would transcend “birth or position” allowing anyone to attain the Dream, obviously this has not been possible for everyone living in the U.S. The wage gap between men and women easily makes attaining the Dream difficult, since the social order still does not pay women for the same jobs as men. Additionally, the racism which systematically pervades all of our institutions makes the Dream merely a dream for black people, as institutions are systematized to hinder the growth of Black Americans. White Americans face only the challenge of individual wealth. Owning a home is often impossible as these institutions have implemented ways to hinder the growth of non-white Americans.

While the meaning of the American Dream has evolved multiple times between 1865 and 1980, almost every person agreed on as to what the American Dream meant in their respective time periods. The definition of the American Dream in some form has always consisted of freedom, and the ability to advance economically. Also, in more recent times things such as owning a suburban home, moving into the middle-class, being able to spend on consumer goods, and having a perfect family became a part of the American Dream. However, throughout American history there has always been groups who have not had equal access to the American Dream. External factors such as legislation, racism, sexism, and the political environment, resulted in former slaves, blacks, poor Americans, women, and immigrants not having fair access to aspects of the American Dream such as complete freedom, equal opportunity, the ability to advance economically, and the ability to enjoy the luxuries of an affluent society. Between 1865 and 1900 former slaves did not have equal access to aspects of freedom such as, “Self-ownership, family stability, religious liberty, political participation, and economic autonomy.” Later on, between 1900 and 1939 lower-class Americans, women, and immigrants did not have equal opportunity to advance economically. Later on, the American economy shifted after the second World War, and Americans were moving into the middle-class, however blacks, and immigrants did not have equal access to the

To sum up, even though there is truth in believing that Americans are given access to the American Dream because of special programs, such as government aid, that will help with one’s economic stability, others would recommend that the access of the American Dream is lessened to those who are unemployed, but the American Dream calls for unity to happen amongst all Americans in the times of need and despair. When all Americans do their best to help each other in achieving the American Dream, the dream then becomes more accessible to the people who are trying to obtain the dream. The reality of the American Dream cannot be simply put as something definitive for all Americans, there are times in which one may not get a chance to experience the

is looked at as a substantially impressive nation. Having personally grown up in America, there

The idea of the “American Dream” was first used in the book The Epic of America, written by James Truslow Adams, in 1931. Adams stated that the American Dream is, “the 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…(31) “. The key elements of the American Dream include: access to a college education, owning a home, enjoying political freedom and being economically independent (Clinton American Dream Initiative 3). Every newly arrived immigrant believes that with hard work he or she will achieve all or most of the elements of the American Dream. The fundamental thesis of the

The American dream is what maintains the steady flow of immigrants into America. Overtime the American dream has given a new hope to immigrants. People come to America in hopes to improve their lives in a way that makes them happy to be apart of the country. When people immigrate to this country and contribute to the betterment of society, they become American. When people look at this country and the citizens from the outside, they do not always see what Americans see as being American. Being American has taken on many different meanings over the years. What it means to be an American is a complex definition, however, three words that can best describe what it means to be an American are equal, free, and prosperous.

Land of Opportunity, Home of the Brave, and Land of the Free often come to mind when envisioning the United States for most individuals around the world. Through media, America and the American Dream are depicted as the salvation for poverty, sorrow, and hardship. The Founding Fathers invented the American Dream, offering life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, an abundance of immigrants fell short of possessing the American Dream and slowly began to realize that these alluring portrayals were merely a facade. Wealthy and influential corporations needed to revitalize the American Dream before it dissolved amongst the masses. In order to keep American deception ongoing, a new American Dream was implemented into society. This

The American Dream is having your own opportunity to do what you want. We have freedom of speech and the option of always wanting more. People from all over the world have a different interpretation of what they feel is the American Dream. The citizens of many countries feel they don’t get the same opportunities we Americans do, and in some cases it’s true. With that being said, people go through horrible conditions to come over to America to better their lives. Most people want to have a roof over their head and be able to support themselves and a family. The American Dream is having a family, freedom, and owning things.

How does a child from a low income household put an end to the vicious social reproduction cycle he/she has no control over? A higher education cannot guarantee affluence but it does provide an opportunity for growth and economic mobility. College is where people from low income families can break free the social inequality they were born into. The US is a country where people can create something out of nothing. Where people are able to give their children everything they will need to succeed and thrive in college. Which is why the US attracts people from all over the world who are in pursuit of the American Dream. The American Dream, an idea, which states that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative. The conceptual idea behind the American dream is not what it was 80 years ago. Although "street smarts" are important set of skills to have, academic and communication skills are far superior if one wishes to succeed in this country. Poor and low income families struggle to put their children on the road to success because of the lack of income, and limited the resources they have available or can offered. Which is why underprivileged students should receive additional financial aid and the necessary academic assistance before they reach a college.

The American dream represents many aspects for people who live in the United States as well as people who aspire to come and build a better life. When the dream was first being popularized, it represented an ideal life filled with freedom, equality and ultimately success (1). When people come to a new country and leave everything they know behind, they don't do it because they expect success immediately, but they do it because they strive for new opportunities (3).The meaning of this dream, however, has drastically changed over the years. In the beginning, this so-called dream consisted of working hard to gradually reach a rich life where opportunities and success were within reach, and those who put in the work would over time see results and an improvement in their lives (4). Today, many people who have come to this country find themselves barely scrapping past their year trying to afford healthcare while they pay off debts and live a somewhat satisfactory lifestyle (4). What really took a toll on this widespread dream was the introduction of credit cards, because in the near future of this dream it is seen that it completely changes the whole meaning of the American Dream (5).

The American dream is defined as “the belief that everyone in the U.S. has the chance to be successful, rich, and happy if they work hard” (Cambridge). The Pursuit of Happyness is a movie in which the main character, Chris Gardner, illustrates the true happenings of an inspirational rags-to-riches feel good persona. As one observes Chris’s struggle of going from one extreme of being homeless to another extreme of owning a brokerage firm, it postulates the logic that the American dream is feasible for anyone regardless of their upbringing. It makes the average Joe conceive that the American dream is still alive today and that anything is plausible if an individual perseveres and works hard enough. However, if one takes a moment to look away from Hollywood’s propaganda and rather at the actual issues facing the U.S. today, one realizes that there is a profoundly imbalanced polarization of wealth and power in America.