African American Dream

Societal expectations and rules are what weigh down the backs of those who try to attain the American Dream. These unofficial rules exist as a wall between the rich and poor. They apply to the majority of the American population, and limit the amount of citizens that can live in opulence to a select few. The remaining population is left with the arduous struggle towards an almost unattainable dream, the American Dream.

The American Dream is indefinable. There is no one set of words or characteristics that the entire population assigns directly to its definition. With the American population consisting of people of various races, ethnicities, ages, classes, and genders, it seems trivial to even attempt to attribute a single definition to the concept of the American Dream. It is this inability however, to be confined within one single meaning, that allows for the American Dream to govern the desires and goals of the large and diverse American population. And, regardless of all of the heterogeneity within society, the American Dream is generally a goal of all American peoples. In examining this idea, I began to think about the specific meanings attributed to the American Dream for different types of individuals. I broadly outlined the American Dream for myself, to represent the belief in hard work as a pathway to success and raising oneself in society. Consequently, this higher position in society allows for the possession of increased amounts of power. My definition however, neglects to take into account the certain other societal constructs that could possibly have a decisive role in how to both define and achieve the American Dream for the wide variety of people who pursue it.

Another interesting trajectory that the concept of “The American Dream” can give a key, is the concept of social classes. Social classes that we have today are upper, middle, lower and the working class. “The American Dream” is rewarding those who are hard workers, who have qualities and skills, those people can always reach the top goals. But now days we have people who are working hard, who have skills but they barely make the ends. This shows that material success is very difficult to reach; we have 1% of rich people who have the financial resources to control the rest of people (Schaefer 216).

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

What is the American Dream? To many people across the globe, the United States of America appears to be a place where one can be proud of. America the land where dreams come true and there is always a chance for any person to succeed. People who are not from the United States have been painted a beautiful picture of what life in our country is like. Not only do they think that there is a special place in American Dream of African American soldiers after WWI American Dream of African American soldiers after WWI ;During World War I many things changed, lives were destroyed ;dreams shattered, and many soldiers’ who went to war came back ... America for them and the perfect career for each individual, but unfortunately this is not always true. The American dream is not necessarily to get rich quick, it is more along the lines of a hard worker having an opportunity to be financially stable and to live a pleasant life. The dream is that their sons and daughters will not have to suffer the same things that they did. Their children will be better off in the long run because African-American Entrepreneurship In a comparative light there seems to be significant problems, or obstacles, for African-American entrepreneurs. These problems are categorized by environmental factors, opportunity factors, and issues related to capital. The ... of their hard work. Why hasn’t the African American community been able to reach the American dream In America everyone is guaranteed the opportunity

American is a land of opportunity where creates many chances to success and American Dream is based on education that is considered to be a measure of the achievement. Following “Learning in The Shadow of Race and Class” by Bell Hooks which makes us realize the secret struggle of Hook at college years, and she forced to face of not only racism but also the difference in social classes. Through many experiences, she believed education is the key to success that helped her overcome the shame of being African-American and improved her family’s life. Additionally, Hook supports, “Mama intervened and tried to change my father’s mind, as folks she respected in the outside world told her what a privilege it was for me to have this opportunity, that

The American Dream is a concept that is essentially older than the United States, dating back to the seventeenth century. It was then when people began to come up with hopes and aspirations for the newly discovered, unexplored continent. The “American Dream” is in essence the idea in that puts forward the notion that all people can succeed through hard work, that all people have the right to the pursuit of happiness, and be successful. The definition of the American Dream has been expanded upon and redefined over time. The concept of the American Dream has always been debated and put under criticism. There are many that believe the structure of American Society belies the idealistic goal of the American Dream. It points out examples of

The American Dream has always been a driving force in the lives of Americans. It has become a foundation of ideals and hopes for any American or immigrant. Specifically, one of the ideals that always exist is the dream of America free of class distinction. Every American hopes for a society where every person has the opportunity to be whomever he or she desire. Another ideal in the American dream is the drive to improve the quality of life. As one’s idea of the American Dream gets closer and closer, often times political and social ideals of America cause their American Dream to take a turn for the worst.

Even though the optimal American Dream doesn’t promise that all citizens will achieve personal success, it offers equality and fortunes for them to pursue dreams through hard work. However, during the Industrial Age, the American Dream didn’t apply to the lower class. Most immigrants from southern and eastern Europe arrived in the United States to escape religious persecution and poverty in their home countries and also seek new opportunities. But, they realized the brutal reality after their arrival. As unskilled foreigners who suffered poverty and lacked experience and English skills, immigrants lived in nasty tenements located in city ghettos, earned little wages that at times couldn’t even enable the whole family to survive, and were taken advantage from bosses because of their naivete and lack of power. African Americans faced a crueler circumstance because of the long-lasting racial discrimination. In the 1880s, a number of African Americans migrated from rural south to industrial cities in order to avoid poverty, violence, and oppression they faced in the deep South. However, they rarely found factory jobs or professional opportunities. Women also couldn’t rule their destinies during the Industrial Age. Desiring to be more independent and provide financial help to families, many women worked in factories. Most of them experienced disadvantages, including gaining less wages than men did and experiencing sexual harassment from their foremen. Even though the federal

The idea of the American Dream is first voiced by James Adams, who says that it is “that dream of a land,” where life should be better for everyone, “with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement” (Tobak). The main drag American society has today is the “according to his ability or achievement.” Most believe that the American Dream is a promise dealt out exactly equal to all, this is false. The American Dream is not assured, it is dealt out according to ability, achievement, and a little luck. This is because America is not class locked, unlike many other nations “where position is far more important in determining a life’s outcome” (Tobak).

Long ago, the U.S. was described as the land of hopes and dreams, and it was said that every citizen of the United States, had an equal chance to be successful and thrive in life. However, in reality, there are many facts and statistics that question the fact of whether that is actually true or not. The idea of that american dream is that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosper in life through hard work, determination, and initiative. As time progressed, obstacles have surfaced, and in modern times, the american dream is not impossible to achieve, but it is not accessible through hard work and determination as it once was before.

The American Dream is an American idea that came from the Declaration of Independence. It states that “among these rights, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”(Declaration of Independence).Life in this sense stands for living your life ,and liberty is one's own freedom and right ,and the pursuit of happiness is to do what makes you happy.For most people in the 1950-1960,they believed that “home ownership was a fundamental goal… the package might also include car ownership, television ownership and the intent to send one’s kids to college”(Kamp).There are more people today who are able to own a home,car,television and able to send their kids to college ,but there are people that have a harder time reaching these goals.these people are separated into their own group known as the lower class.

American-born citizens, and those who aspire to earn citizenship in America, have learned about the “American Dream,” more than once in their lives. According to Investopedia, the American Dream is defined, “The belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society where upward mobility is possible for everyone” (“American Dream Definition,” 2013). Additionally, the American Dream can be achieved through persistence and hard work. In my opinion, the Investopedia definition is one of the most accurate available, because it takes into account that America is a stratified country. The more I learn about the struggles of the working and lower class, the more I feel the American Dream is harder to obtain.

American dream focuses on the democracy, liberty, rights, equality, and opportunities. All people should have the opportunity to prosperity and social mobility as well as success. No one deserves discrimination irrespective of their background, race or religious belief among others. People should have the right to achieve their objectives without or with minimum barriers. James Adams defined the American dream by stating that Americans should have a richer and fuller life supplied with opportunities for all according to their ability and achievements. The Americans have a bigger part of the American dream achieved. However, some part of the dream seems to drag behind and look unachievable in the near future. The American dream needs a strong intervention to achieve the intended objective of the American dream (Jillson, 2016).

George Carlin once said “It’s called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.”. The American Dream is referred to be the map to success and treasure. Million people migrate to the United State for a chance to change their future and better the lives of their children. The United States is filled with social classes and racial division. The lack of opportunity and inequality has been a shadow in the past and present history (). Families with more money are expected to achieve the same or more as the next generation. America stands for the land of opportunity, yet the opportunities are limited for minorities. There are opportunities for people to achieve greatness and have a well standard of living, but those opportunities are not equal. Money has divided the nation between the upper and lower structure. The American Dream promises upward mobility; however, countries in Europe have a higher percentage for rising social mobility. Equal opportunity is not realistic in the United States; for example, class, race, and gender can determine the social stratification.