Personal Narrative: Happer The American Dream

What is the American Dream? Is it different today than it was for our forefathers? Is the Dream based on collecting as many possessions as we can, or how we want to live? Is it setting goals that we want to achieve in our lifetime and simply being content in whatever we do? My answer is yes. It is making an effort to meet or exceed our goals, whether we want to “shoot for the moon” and strive for wealth, or be content with the basic needs. Most of us want the simplest necessities - shelter, companionship, and a few luxuries to make us comfortable. The American Dream, enduring through time and eras, encourages us to put in place the framework of motivation for the status and achievements we want to attain for ourselves throughout our lives

On a bright sunny Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, started off as an ordinary day where Americans were out working to achieve their ambitious goal called the “ American Dream”. I decided to grab a coffee to start off my day. As I walked by a street vendor, he nicely asked: “ It’s a beautiful day huh?”. I smiled and answered, “ Yes it is sir”. “ What are you up to today? Are you in a rush?” he followed. I answered, “I’m just on my way to grab a coffee and get some fresh air”. He waved as we finished our conversation and I continued towards Starbucks.

I was born in Kerala, India and was raised in Chicago, IL. I came to America at the age of three hoping for a better future. My father came to America first, and he lived with my Aunt who had three sons. After two years my father saved enough money to bring my mom, sister, and I to the US. During this time he would work as a dishwasher at a nursing home to support my family. After a month of living with my Aunty and her kids my dad found an apartment to rent. Eventually, we moved into a tiny one-bedroom apartment with my family. That was the hardest time period for me due to language barriers. My sister and I started to learn English. However, my parents were struggling to learn a new language so we would have to go everywhere with them to translate. Another, difficulty that we faced was financial issues. At that time we were making ends-meet and we were scraping every penny that we got. Afterwards, my mom got her CNA license she started working two jobs when I was only four years old. Even till this day she is still working two jobs to support the

I was born in a small town in Mexico on March 20, 1998. My life over there was rough, my mom had to work two jobs so she can provide for me and my brother. My brother was the one that always took care of me and was like a father figure. Leaving everything behind and having to start again chasing the American dream was hard, but was for the best. I had to learn a new language and interact with different people. In the beginning I didn't like being here I felt alone being in a strange place, going to school was also difficult since I could not communicate with my teachers and with most of my peers. That changed when I learned more English and I did everything I could to adapt to this country. I also saw how much my parents worked and still struggled

Los angles is one of the cities where people try to achieve the “American dream”. Even though the “American Dream” is different from people to people. To me, Los Angeles means a new beginning…my new beginning. I have moved to Los angles in search of success in education and life, to prove to myself that I can be independent.

Growing up on the island of Jamaica, it was never my aspiration to move to the U.S. Leaving my country was one of the most depressing experiences I have ever encountered. At least, -that’s what I thought at the time. I was saddened that I was no longer able to see the people I valued most every day. I was eager for change but at the same time heartbroken because my life wouldn’t be the same in this new world. I felt as if I was unprepared to accept new challenges and live the “American Dream”.

More than 11 million people in the United States have migrated from all around the world. People decide to migrate for many reasons such as living in poverty, no education, and lack of opportunities. They all have the same dream of striving in life for their future and well being. One of those millions of people was my mother. She took the courage and bravery of leaving all that meant the world to her, move forward and migrating into a new country. From leaving Mexico to Illinois, and now residing in California, her journey was a quite a ride. My mother’s journey has been something that has changed her life and she is forever grateful she took this big step.

I remember the first time I heard the phrase “American dream” it was when I was in my third grade English class. The phrase didn’t mean much to me back then but now it has a complete different meaning for me because it changed my life dramatically.

At the time I am typing this, I don’t have what I would consider the American dream. While most people would love to own a large house with an open field, smelling the freshly cut grass as they get ready for work in the morning, I'm not quite sure if I would want to live in a large house or own ten or twenty acres. A lot of people have learned the skills for what they think they want to do, and then they later realize they want to do something else. I would like to learn as many skills as I can, so if I don't like a job, for example, working on a computer in an office, hearing keys on a keyboard clicking away, I can get a job outdoors, operating heavy machinery in the warm sun on a construction site.

The American Dream is a concept that has circulated around the world and has caused people from other countries, and those who live in America, to come to our nation and take advantage of the opportunities in place to better their lives. The definition of the American Dream, provided by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America (1931), is “a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement…It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable” (214-215). While this definition may not be exact to the

“The American Dream is a term that is often used but also misunderstood. It isn't really about becoming rich or famous. It is about things much simpler and more fundamental than that.”(Marco Rubio). The quote is about how people think the American dream is about becoming rich or famous, but originally about having a nice job and a good house. Too many people think that the American Dream is dead because of what is happening in the world. My dream is about getting a good education and a nice paying job, playing a sport in college, and settling down and having a nice home life.

Coming to America your vision is the “ American Dream” . Owning a home , educating your children , and spending time with your family are just a few dreams that attract foreigners . My father Caesar Reeves came to American to live those dreams . When he got here, he realized that working for someone else wouldn’t allow him to achieve his dream. He decided to work for himself and enter into the gas station business in 2007. During this time gas was at some of its all time highs ; $3.50 per gallon , $4.01 per gallon , and more on the east coast . My father’s ownership of the Sunoco gas station chain in Cumberland Maryland allowed him to live out both his American dreams , and nightmare . While he was making money he was being robbed , and reporting finances improperly .

I came to this country not long ago with many dreams. Living in the US had been always our ultimate goal in life to accomplish. I studied Medicine in Cuba, and I practiced over there for more than 10 years. My oldest kid was born right before my last test to become a doctor and the little one while I was in the Family Practice residency. So, said that, I know very well about challenges, combining study, work and… family life as well. But, when we finally were able to move to this amazing country, then, I finally realized that I was needing a complete change in my life, to continue moving on, fighting for our dreams.

The American dream isn't big, it isn't small and it isn't defined as something specific the american dream isn't dreamed by anyone specific, it isn't according to culture or religion or color. It's based on courage, motivation, strength and dignity. The people who can live the American dream are the people who believe they can. I believe no matter what age, culture, religion, race,or color you are you can achieve your American dream if you believe you can. Whoopi Goldberg said once, “i am the american dream. Epitome of what the American dream basically said, you could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country: that's exactly what i've done. I am where i am today because i believe in all possibilities.”

For many people the America dream means to come to the U.S. and accomplish something they never thought will come true, for example owning a home, and a nuclear family of 2.3 kids. The American Dream is still attainable but for many it has changed. Hispanics come to the U.S. to have a better life to achieve their American Dream. Some people have everything on their hands, meaning they have all that they wanet but why aren’t they happy. The American dream does not mean being rich but having a place to live in with you nuclear family and being healthy.