The American Dream

Does being American mean that you’re an American citizen, or does it mean that you have the same rights and decisions as someone who is a successful American citizen? These decisions include choices you make in order to better yourself in life, whether it has to do with your choice in career, or what you want to do in life. Making decisions, and having choices comes with freedom, as a person, and that reflects on being an American everywhere in the world, even though you’ve never been in America. To be an American means that you have the freedom, and rights to do what you want, be who you are, and be/ become who you want. This right of having the freedom to do what you want, can be elaborated by someone’s life chances.

Many people have come to America for adventure, opportunity, freedom, and the chance to experience the particular qualities of the American landscape. The American Dream is the idea that every United States citizen, including immigrants and residents, should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. America somewhat provides access to the American dream, it is more so the citizen who provides access to the dream for themselves. Even though they encountered many trials and tribulations, with persistence, people such as Langston Hughes in “I Too Sing America and Anzia Yezierska in “America and I” they were able to achieve their individual American Dream.

Despite this fact, home ownership in the economic and social landscape of today is a big responsibility. Economically, most millennial most likely cannot afford to own their own home. A mortgage is a much larger payment than rent for an apartment. Similarly, owning a home means paying for gas, electric, water and furniture to fill a house; this also includes any grounds upkeep depending on the home’s location and property taxes. Socially, Millennials seem to be straying away from owning a home because it

As you see there are definitely pros and cons when deciding if renting or buying is right for you. When you rent, you don’t have the responsibility of maintaining the home, you aren’t worried about improving the interior or exterior of the dwelling, you don’t have to pay taxes on the home, and you aren’t faced with the possibility of losing the capital put into the housing market, or the possibility of foreclosure if a mortgage payment is missed (Should you rent or own). But on the flip side, when owning a home the equity in the home can be converted into money if refinanced or sold. Over the years, if kept well, real estate property increases in value and therefore this asset will up in value the longer the property is held (Should you rent or own).

The American Dream: Is it fact or fiction? In the United States’ Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers set forth the idea of an American Dream by providing the American people with the recognizable phrase “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” (USHistory.org). The green light at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock symbolizes Jay Gatsby’s “pursuit of Happiness” in the novel, The Great Gatsby, set in the 1920s on Long Island, New York (Fitzgerald, F. Scott). The American Dream is defined as “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. The American Dream is achieved through

The American Dream is a concept that has been wielded in American Literature since its beginnings. The ‘American Dream’ ideal follows the life of an ordinary man wanting to achieve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The original goal of the American dream was to pursue freedom and a greater good, but throughout time the goals have shifted to accumulating wealth and high social status. Deplorable moral and social values have evolved from a materialistic pursuit of happiness. In “Advertising the American Dream: Making Way for Modernity”, Roland Marchand describes a man that he believed to be the prime example of a 1920’s man. Marchand writes, “Not only did he flourish in the fast-paced, modern urban milieu of skyscrapers, taxi

Throughout the United States, many people, unique as they may be, have one goal and want that is the same. For lots of those individuals, that goal is just to get around the immense amount of challenges that one day brings upon them. For many, they will do whatever it takes to provide financially for themselves and or their family, in an attempt to build supportable and desirable lives. This concept is known as the American Dream. In Barbara Ehrenreich’s, Nickled and Dimed and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the American Dream is an everlasting concept that is perceived differently by both of the book’s main characters. Although these two pieces of writing were written in different eras, the characters actions about the American Dream

It would not be a good idea for young adults to start off with a big responsibility, and not be able to fulfill it. Things changes during this time in someone 's life, and because owning your own home is a large commitment. It just makes more sense to start off with renting.

When someone makes the decision to buy or rent a home they must consider the advantages and disadvantages of each. In buying a home the primary advantage is that you actually own it. You can do whatever you want with it. Also, you are building equity as the years go by. “People today have problems saving for their future” (CNN Money, 2014). However, when they buy a home, the

The meaning of the "American Dream" has changed over the course of history, and includes both personal components (such as home ownership and upward mobility) and a global vision. Historically the Dream originated in the mystique regarding frontier life. As the Royal Governor of Virginia noted in 1774, the Americans "for ever imagine the Lands further off are still better than those upon which they are already settled". He added that, "if they attained Paradise, they would move on if they heard of a better place farther west. The German emigrant comes into a country free from the despotism, privileged orders and monopolies, intolerable taxes, and constraints in matters of belief and conscience. Everyone can travel and

The downsides to owning a house are mainly that it is not in my conceivable budget any time soon. Once I have completed college I hope to have formed enough connections in my area of study, business management, to have secured a job with a paycheck that is suitable for me to begin searching for a home. Another downside to owning a house is that I am solely responsible for any damage that occurs to the building or to the property. Many sudden incidents occur that can cut a large chunk into the budget of any homeowner, such as a car crashing into the garage, or perhaps a storm blowing over a tree. These financial responsibilities make owning a home daunting to students who have just completed college and are likely paying off student loans.

While owning their own home is not for everyone, there are some financial and emotional benefits. An advantage is that you can build equity. Typically, homes rise in value every year. Even if you don’t increase in value, though, you build equity as you pay down your mortgage. You get tax breaks as a homeowners by deducting mortgage interest and property taxes on their federal income taxes. Your housing payments will stay the same if you choose a fixed-rate mortgage, your principal and interest payments remain the same for the duration of the loan. But your homeowners’ insurance, property taxes and homeowners association fees can change. You may at sometime in the future want to be able to use your home as an Investment. This works best if you can cover your mortgage (or more) with rental payments. With this in mind, it pays to choose a home that will make a good rental property in the

We've all seen those movies of those lazy individuals we call millennials. These people are often depicted as dependent individuals that are either living with their parents or renting some shady apartment. That's the question has been proposed whether or not are they justified in doing so. It is obviously easy to say that they have a right to do so, but can it be considered rational in the days we live in. Are their benefits from withholding to buying a house. And maybe even this could be the redefining of the new “American Dream.”

It should be no surprise to anyone that owning your home can be the most rewarding, yet challenging thing in your life. Not all of us were bless with giving, wealthy parents, and not all of us got an inheritance from a long lost uncle. I think it is safe to say that 95 percent of adults in the United States start off struggling financially. This can be due to a lack of financial responsibility, but often it is due to external factors. Sometimes things come up in our lives that we can not necessarily plan for, and it does not make our financial situation any easier.

There are many advantages having a spacious and lovely house in the middle of the city or near to office or school or beach or tourist attraction spots. The Major disadvantage of having a beautiful and peaceful house is the cost to be paid. For many Americans, the housing cost is the most expenditure that is spent on their salary. You cannot say no to if the expenditure is in the house or the furniture. But this is one of the major expenditure many of the Americans going to spend from their salary. It is the easy trap where everyone falls into and left out with the financial crisis. The expenditure on the house which includes mortgage loan, property taxes, house insurances etc., if this all summed up to more than 30%of your salary then it is the clear indication that you are in a big financial crisis. More than 50%of Americans belong to this stage by the recent studies. This crisis effects directly onto the retirement savings and health insurance. If you think having a beautiful and big spacious house shows your status and dignity, then in some months or years you will face some serious crisis. It takes much time and hard work to overcome this type of crisis. So better find a less lavish home that you can afford meaning property that takes less than 30% of your income.