American Dream Research Paper

The American dream is why there are millions of people in America, and why we have the things we have. It’s what makes the people we have today we have freedom. Some people follow the American dream to become rich. The America dream was supposed to make life better and that was progressing until now. The American dream brings the whole nation together to improve everything(Wikipedia). America usually solves problems and issues that others have with us. The American dream changed through the centuries and its been slowly it improved. Many people are fighting for middle class and higher class and it works out for them which is good., the prospect of "betterment" and to "improve

Through everybody’s eyes is their own version of the American Dream. Whether it’s the stereotypical dream with a good job, a family, and a house with a white picket fence, or it could be just getting by at the end of the month financially. The American Dream doesn’t have a specific image but rather a particular mindset. Lots of people have a goal in their life that they have to work hard to be successful towards that goal, but in most cases that goal may be unrealistic.

The idea of the American dream revolves around attaining happiness, success and equality. For higher wealth classes obtaining these components aren't a concern; but for many, the American Dream has become a nightmare. For the poor being able to obtain simple necessities such as food, clothing and shelter is a daily struggle. The price of being poor is a lot costlier then those in the realm of the wealthy. Based on the current economic and social systems in America it does not provide everyone with a fair chance to achieve the “American Dream”. In todays society many Americans believe money is the only way to happiness. True or not true, money certainly isn't a hindrance to obtaining the necessary components for survival. But if the American Dream is no longer about happiness and freedom it becomes solely about wealth and possession. "Money cannot buy happiness." (Anonymous, Spring Board pg.81) represents the concept that money doesn't necessarily play apart in your emotional well-being. Today, materialism is more important than character. Money isn't everything; you don't need it to be happy and certainly not to achieve "The American Dream". In addition to that, although money can jump-start your future it can also drive you into the ground. Dana Gioia, the author of "Money", says "...Money holds heads above water..." Implying money plays a crucial part in keeping your dreams alive while America demands so much. Although finances are a building block to ones version of the

The capability of all Americans to achieve the American dream is what many believe to have made this country great. Perhaps this is why more immigrants flock to the United States than any other nation, because they view America as “the land of opportunity”, because here anyone can achieve the American dream. Generally, the American dream is the belief that anyone, even one at a low income level, can achieve success and make themselves content if they work hard enough and are determined. Unfortunately, when looking at certain aspects of society, it’s apparent that nothing can be further from the truth. For example, a person can pursue and live the American dream and still be unhappy. Also, the lifestyle that one may live to pursue the American dream can be dehumanizing. Both of these examples are flaws in the American dream that can be seen in the film Fight Club. Furthermore, rising levels of income inequality and the crushing debt people face also shows flaws in the idea of the American dream. When analyzing the evidence, it’s clear that in the modern United States, the American dream is non-existent.

Whether you're a student, athlete, lawyer, celebrity, or even the President of the United States – no one is exempt from discrimination. African Americans were rated second class citizens because of their skin color, just as women weren't allowed to vote or get a job because they were supposed to cook and do housework. The LGBT population faces discrimination that isn’t based on appearance, but by sexual orientation. Unconstitutional acts like the Defense of Marriage Act (1996) and Don't ask Don't Tell Policy (1993-2011) specifically target the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, forcing them to either lie about their sexuality or face harassment and prejudice. However, over the course of nearly 100

The American dream, for many, can mean more opportunities for a better life, a fresh start, or a chance for unrestricted freedoms that other countries do not provide for their people. It is supposed to allow people a shot for equal work, fair pay, and equal rights under the Constitution, as long as they become a United States citizen. It is given the reputation for allowing all American citizens to be able to pursue a fair and equal chance for success, in the United States, whatever that success may look like to that particular person. That was the intention of course, but in reality the American dream is not always the idea that many claim it to be. Despite most American's best intentions to try and treat immigrants equally, there are some residents of the United States who cannot get over their sense of entitlement or privilege to

To achieve higher expectations of success than the previous generations, and accomplishing what hasn't already been accomplished, can be considered the overall American Dream. Generally, every child wants to surpass the achievements of their parents as a natural act of competition and personal satisfaction. Throughout The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, and Death of a Salesman, there is a constant yearning desire to achieve the “American Dream;” whether it be reality or illusion. Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Miller, all portray the ideas of the American Dream relating to the time period that they are referring to. The strive to achieve a goal whether it be to be the wealthiest or achieve a great life by hard work seems to be the template

There are countless forms of bigotry in America. Some of which include, religious discrimination, age discrimination, disability discrimination, racial discrimination, and gender-based discrimination. All of which are prohibited in each state. However, less than half of the states in the United States have laws protecting Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders from discrimination. Although there are some states where it is illegal, members of the LGBT community are discriminated against on a regular basis.

The village that I live in is small and it is a one of the oldest communities in northwestern Illinois. I moved from Poland about three years ago; therefore, for a long time I was only an observer of people, their life and traditions. In very beginning I realized that Lemont is a close community that supports struggle through wealthy people, which lead a battle of rivalry among themselves. Although living in an impoverished community is not easy, facing a difficulty of living in a wealthy area might be as harsh due to the superficiality of residents.

The American dream is all but a figment of the imagination that is unrealistic to attain since it is becoming harder and harder for any middle class to sustain itself in the middle or the poor society to prosper to the intermediate class. What once was possible is almost impossible to achieve success and wealth through hard work, persistence, and action. The top one percent of the American society is making it impossible for the lower class to hold on to hope for a better future. The richer are getting richer by remarkably increase profits. Yet, the lower class wages have either decrease in some sectors of employment or have remained stationary resulting in “income inequality. That is “…the extent to which income is distributed in an uneven manner among a population” (inequality.org). Today it is even more evident that the lower class is stuck, unable to go nowhere. Savings is almost none existence to the middle and poor classes yet, they are working harder than ever before. Fortunately by having a free democratic society take control over “wealth inequality” the economic difference can stabilize through unionization for all low-wage labor.

The American Dream. Three words that give hope to those who never imagined having it. Immigration isn’t something that can be understood by those who never went through it; it’s more than a term, more than some citizenship papers, more than a new country, it’s a completely new life.

The American dream is a rhetoric of hope and mobility to reach the heights of economic sustainability that you wish to achieve. The idea is that the amount of effort you put forth will emanate the amount of success you can produce as a byproduct of American society. This concept however couldn’t be further from the truth, as many have tried to work up for years but only got slightly better at best then they say what they were nearly a decade ago. Many researchers have demonstrated that not only has the American Dream often times been influenced by our socioeconomic roots, but that to progress out of it is like a dime in a dozen. Since education provides students the material to move onto the larger job industry, and because the disparity between high school graduates and college graduate has increased so drastically, Americans are clamoring for college now more so than ever before. Student debt has been an issue that has kept many Americans in the lower end of the social class spectrum to miss out on utilizing college resources. Many financial aid programs have been established to attempt to decrease this tendency, particularly the Pell grant having the most success. Unfortunately, despite the initial success of the Pell grant program, it still has its limitations on how much help it can provide to underprivileged students. An incentive based scholarship program such as the Performance-based scholarships where attendance rates, passing classes, and student involvement

What is the american dream? The amercan dream is the idea that everyone has equal oppourtunity to acheive success and prosperity through hard work and determination. But is the american dream the same for everyone?

If we ask most Americans what is American Dream? the common answers are to become successful, rich, owning house, cars and etc. In other countries, many people see America as a land of opportunities for a better life and that is the reason why they come here. Every individual who comes to America has their goals or dreams that they want to fulfill in life that they could not fulfill in their own country. In another word, their American dream is to have a better life for themselves and their children, better education, more rights, and freedoms. For instance, my parents came to America so we could have a better life and better education that we could not have in our country. That was their definition of American Dream, to have a better life for their children. Like most Americans and my parents' definition of the American dream, my meaning of American dream is to have a better education, having rights and freedoms as American citizens, and to become successful.

Throughout life everybody has heard the line “Follow your dreams!” This simple sentence has inspired many. This idea of creating a dream and chasing it has inspired the American Dream. The American Dream is different for everybody. It could be getting married, creating a business, or being a hero. It turns out the American Dream is not for everybody. There is always something standing in the way of the American Dream. Race, social status, and the individual are standing in the way between the person and the American Dream.