The American Dream

Mata 1 Eliza Mata Ms. Smith Period 6 - English 11 25 February 2019 A Dream Never Dies In a world where life was hard and bitter, there was one hope for those that wished to turn their lives around, and that was the land of the free, America. The American dream is defined as the equality of opportunity for everyone. Thought it might seem as if it might be unreachable, that is not the case. Although in today’s age the American dream is much different from when it was first born it is as strong as it has ever been. The American dream is still attainable by all people, this is evident in social mobility, the American attitude, the American government structure, and social equality. The American dream is still alive and kicking, and it shows itself in our economic freedom and social mobility. According to Jessica Dickler from CNBC news, people's opinion on the American dream and their own financial stability coincide with the waves of economic change. She states that generally people will feel uneasy about the American dream when in times of financial struggle. “...nearly twice as many Americans said that personal debt is an obstacle rather than a stepping stone to achieving the American dream” (Dickler 2). It is reasonable to assume that debts equals personal economic deficiency, but essentially that is not true. Successfully surviving debts from wherever they come from, like purchasing a new home or from college tuitions, is an important step not only for moving up the social ladder, but learning how to manage your money efficiently. Moving up the social ladder is a tough task when beginning from the very bottom, but it is certainly possible, as many success stories of people that go from rags to riches exits. In the article “Saving The American dream” by Amy L.

Mata, 2 Wax, Wax delves into the controversies of how wealth might help others more substantially in achieving the American dream, and debunks some social myths. “...income mobility across quintiles is still substantial, with 20 percent of children born into the bottom fifth rising out of that tier, those born in the middle quintiles as likely to move up as down, and only a minority born into the top tier managing to stay there” (Wax 3). This means that there is more mobility from the bottom up, than there is people born at the top and staying there. America is still a place for people to rise in the ranks. It is not a place dictated by the elite one percents, but of the people, the hard workers. The American spirit for quick richness has survived ever since the country was created. The colonies represented a new escape and hub for opportunity. Once the California gold rush occurred in 1848, this attitude exploded. People not only from all over the country, but all over the world scurried for a successful life. In the Wikipedia article “American Dream”, the article uses an excerpt of the book Epic of America by James Truslow to clarify the values of the American dream. “The American dream, that has lured tens of millions of all nations to our shores in the past century has not been a dream of merely material plenty, though that has doubtlessly counted heavily. It has been much more than that. It has been a dream of being able to grow to the fullest development as a man and woman...” ( American Dream 3). This book was written in 1931 captures the main attitude on the American dream, which can still be applied today. The wanting of material galore is not the complete story. The whole appeal to the American dream is that the people have the opportunity to go out and become the greatest version of themselves. They can pursue their life goals by starting a business, write the next great novel, and so much more. This possession of abundant opportunity and resources grants Americans overall eagerness and optimism to their lives. In the article “American Dream is Not

Mata, 3 Dead”, Dickler concludes by stating , “The thing about this country, even in the midst of things not going that well economically, there's this strong spirit...That's always been one of the things that made America resilient” (Dickler 2). America has been through periods of hardships, all of which we have pulled through succssesfully. It seems that even through these periods, the American people have still kept their heads high. The hope that they keep is deeply rooted in the American dream. The American government’s beginning were brought through a fight for independence. The American the revolution was victorious because of the American people’s bold attitudes. Through this, the government was set through these radical ideas, and our founders created a republic. The Wikipedia article also uses Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” to conclude. “ ... thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence” (American Dream 3). This letter was used for the civil rights movement, or the African American’s quest for the American dream. The country was built from the essence of the American dream. These values were further built upon as time passed, trying to be the best version of itself as possible, reflection the goals of the American dream by doing so. The Declaration Of Independence is a great example of the direct influence of the American dream in the American government. It states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” ( US 1776). The Declaration of Independence is significant as it is the first formal sign of America as a country and not as a British colony. After its introduction, these are the first words written. It clearly states these as its main priority and values the three unalienable rights as law. These do not disappear into history,

Mata, 4 but still remain to this day. Our foundations are built on the ideas on the American dream, and will stay that way for as long as America exists. America back in the day compared to the rest of the world's countries was by far the most radical and most democratic government ever created. This attracted people from all over the globe, and new immigrants started to pour in. This created a new diversity that had shaped for centuries to become what it is today. It took a lot of time for some races to be widely accepted, some having a long harsh history to it, but eventually, it happened. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter, quoted in the Wikipedia Article “American Dream”, he expresses some American ideals concerning with civil rights. It states, “We will win our freedom because the sacred Heritage of our nation and the Eternal will of God are embodied in are echoing demands... when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters they were in reality standing up for what is best in in the American dream...” (American Dream 3). The quote from Martin Luther King Jr. expresses one of the crucial values in America, the need for equality amongst all people of all backgrounds. Today there is practically equal opportunity amongst everyone from any ethnicity and race. In the “ American Dream” article it states, “ The old American Dream ... was the dream of the Puritans” (American Dream 2). The Puritans were amongst the first to settle the colonies. They were known for being persecuted in their native lands, and this was their only escape from it. In the Bill Of Rights, one of the rights is the freedom of religion. This freedom of religion stems all the way back to the first settlers, the Puritans. The freedom to believe in whoever or whatever you wish, to kneel or stand, is up to the individual. Given that freedom is important for the American dream, to create a living in religion. Some might believe in otherwise, that the American Dream is in fact dead, or dying. Richard Eskow wrote the article “7 Facts That Show the American Dream is Dead”. He states

Mata, 5 that, “It’s true. The key elements of the American dream—a living wage, retirement security, the opportunity for one's children to get ahead in life—are now unreachable for all but the wealthiest among us” (Eskow 1), and “A recent poll showed that more than half of all people in this country don’t believe that the American dream is real.” (Eskow 1). However, as it states in the article “American Dream is not Dead”, “Rumors of the American dream being dead have been greatly exaggerated. To that point, 63 percent of Americans believe that they are living the American dream, according to a recent report, up from the 59 percent in 2011” (Dickler 1). Eskow wrote his article in 2014, while Dickler wrote hers in 2016. The great recession left a economic and psychological scar on America. But recently, it has been improving, along with hopes in the American dream. Others may argue that our government only cares about big businessnes and not about its people’s needs. The fact that you are able to vote on any issue that concerns you shows otherwise. You can contact your local representatives and inform them on any issue in your concern. Back in early 2018, I personally learned that I could contact a representative through an organized program called Resist Bot. Some may argue that racism is still a huge issue that conflicts with people’s rights, and that nothing has been done about it. If the American dream was in its peak during the same time that Jim Crow laws were in place, it most certainly can be alive today. The American government has changed itself and is a far cry from the old brutal Jim Crow laws. Any association cannot legally discriminate or deny someone a job solely on the basis of race, sexual orientation, or religion. The American Dream overall has changed with time. This is to be expected, as practically everything does. But the fact remains the same, the American dream still exist and everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve greatness. Economic waves tend to dictate the faith in the American dream, but it seems to always remain despite the changes it must endure. The

Mata, 6 American dream has essentially become a beacon of hope, an ideal, an immortal dream that everyone shares. The book Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck has the American dream as its theme, but in a different light. The characters have that same hope within them, to achieve their own American dream. Of Mice and Men was written in the depths of the Great depression, which explains its pessimism, but reinstates that the dream still exists despite the harshness of the world at the time. The American dream has existed throughout the centuries of American history, and will continue for centuries more as an everlasting dream, as a dream that will never die.

Works Cited “American Dream.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Jan. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream. Accessed February 4 2019. Eskow, Richard. “7 Facts That Show the American Dream Is Dead.” Alternet, Alternet.org, 24 Oct. 2014, www.alternet.org/print/economy/7-facts-show-american-dream-dead.

Mata, 7 Accessed 4 February 2019 Dickler, Jessica. “The American Dream Is Not Dead: Poll.” CNBC, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2016, www.cnbc.com/2016/02/04/american-dream-is-not-dead.html. Accessed February 4 2019 Wax, Amy L. “Saving the American Dream.” Commentary Magazine, Oct. 2017, www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/saving-american-dream/. Accessed 14 February 2019