TRUNG NGUYEN ENGLISH 190 MONICA BARRON Oct. 18, 2012 Has the American Dream Died? “The American Dream” has many different interpretations, but the most popular one is that of James Adams in 1931: “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (The Epic of America). In general, “the American Dream” is an ideal life in which each and every American will have freedom, equality, opportunity, personal happiness and material comfort. But the realization of this Dream has been questioning since the economic developments as well as government policies have created a big gap between the upper-class and the middle- and lower-class in America’s society. This gap has led to the decreasing of education’s quality, and the inequality in residents’ income.
Equal opportunity for Americans no longer exists. One of the things that made America so great was its large middle class. People enjoyed the chance and opportunity for all, giving them hope to move higher and gain more. When chances and opportunity for the majority of the population is at an all-time low, expect negative consequences in the upcoming future. The distribution of power and wealth is greatly skewed and has never been so off set.
I think materialism in America plays a huge part in why more people are becoming poor and why some are staying poor. Honestly, if you were to ask people what makes them happy, a lot of their answers would include, "having nice things" Why? Because people judge on what others have and re-evaluate their own lives. In some cases people constantly feel like they don't have enough. Our society no longer cares about what people need, it’s all about WANT, WANT, WANT!
They also come in pursue of giving a better educational opportunities to their young children. Also immigrants are more likely to create jobs and pay taxes when they live in the United States which helps the economy grow stronger. Although there are many negative conceptions about immigrants these individuals should have the opportunity to migrate to the United States for a better life. Many of the immigrants that migrate were left with no other option but to enter illegally through the border because in there countries they suffered from poverty, crime, the lack of education and opportunities. In the article “Rethinking El Salvador’s transnational families” by Leisy J. Abrego writes about a young boy named Daniel and his struggles living in El Salvador while his father is in the United States looking for work.
This interpretation of “living the dream,” has begun to fade away, making “The American Dream” unattainable for many. The American Dream is fading, as higher education has left many students lost and in debt, income inequality is expanding, and economic fairness is dwindling. In today’s America, the struggle with income inequality has grown into more of an issue. Due to the struggle with income inequality, the gap between the rich and the poor is significantly expanding, causing the dream to travel further out of reach for many. In his article, “Keeping the Dream Alive,” Meacham mentions this issue in today’s economy.
Immigration in the United States of America Immigration is an extremely beneficial aspect of the United States. It is, to some, a gateway to a new beginning in life. What most people fail to realize is that immigration is the foundation of this country. A number of foreigners come to the United States each year to not only strengthen their skills but to also create a better lifestyle for their families. Some Americans do not understand the true reason why they tend to choose our country to start over in.
Consumerism in the United States Consumerism is the center of American culture. Americans tend to confuse their wants with their needs. With new advances in technology, as well as the help of advertisers, people are provided with easy access to new products that seem essential to their everyday life, even though they have survived this long without them. It is a fact that people cannot live without food, water or shelter but the problem with consumerism arises when people take it to far and spend money extravagantly. You do not need the most fancy or flashy things to survive.
Many may argue that the falling economy and the wealthy not wanting to share their shares is to blame for the raising rates of poverty here in the states. Poverty of course, has a lot to do with money and income but underneath that it is has a deeper story. Stories of how different people are suffering from it and how they are managing to live day by day. It almost seems as if it’s a foreign nation of its own and you only understand the concepts if you are in it. There is no doubt that here in America we are dealing with one of the greatest economic downfalls.
Real Estate in America is at an all time low. Is this an advantage or disadvantage to the million os people across the country? Renting versus buying a home is dependent upon an individual’s needs or lifestyle, but is conflicted by the American Dream of self-proprietorship. In the past, renters were most commonly college students or couples saving money to buy there first home. Today millions of people rent expensive homes, condos, and apartments, without an intension to ever purchase a home.
Nowadays more and more people try their luck in going abroad, because of economic reasons especially. The lives they have in their homeland are not satisfying enough for them, so they try to change it by starting a totally new life somewhere else. Firstly, inequality in salaries is one of the main reasons why people decide to go abroad. For example, Poles claim that people from Western Europe doing the same job as they do, get much more money for their work. That is why, many of them are tempted by higher wages in the West.