How Do Ethnic Minorities Achieve The American Dream

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Question: To what extent do ethnic minorities achieve the American Dream? The American Dream is the magnet which attracted a variety of different races and nationalities to America, in seek of a better life. However, this was not the reality for all of them, and many still face a life of poverty and discrimination. Ethnic minorities tend to suffer from both social and economic inequalities, despite the fact that the US prides itself on being a democracy in which every citizen is equal. The question considers the extent to which ethnic minorities have achieved the American Dream. It is argued that inequalities continue to exist which prevents ethnic minorities from achieving the American Dream. One of the main reasons for ethnic minorities being in poverty is lack of education. Both Hispanics and African Americans have high dropout rates, 3 in 10 Hispanics and 1 in 5 Blacks do not finish high school. As relatively few go on to achieve a university degree, they have a lack of qualifications, which leads to much fewer job opportunities. The Asian population has achieved the most among ethnic…show more content…
In 2008, 40% of the prison population was black, even though blacks only made up 12% of the US population. A study conducted by the Rand Corporation shows that black Americans and Hispanics generally receive longer jail sentences than white people convicted of similar crimes. Black males have a 32% chance of going to prison at some point in their lives, compared to only 17% for Hispanics and 6% for whites. A study of the death penalty showed that the odds of receiving a death sentence are 3.5 times higher among those whose victims were white, as opposed to victims of an ethnic minority. Despite these surveys, little has been done to change the justice system. Therefore, it is clear that little progress has been made in the US justice system regarding ethnic
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