The Path For Underserved Students Transitioning From Community College

With the current state of affairs in America, many wonder whether the American dream has become just that: a dream. Gone are the days of mass immigration, when millions left their home countries in search of a better life in the United States. Today, many Americans struggle just to stay afloat while those at the top continue to prosper. This is particularly true for women, who despite having more freedom than ever before, are still subject to discrimination and inequality. Racial minorities are also at a disadvantage, with systematic discrimination making it more difficult for them to obtain jobs and climb the economic ladder. In addition to this, the wealth gap prevents many, regardless of gender or race, from achieving a middle-class life, or anything more than that. Americans cannot still achieve the American Dream because of gender and race inequality, as well as economic inequality.

“In 2011, at every education level, white workers were more likely than black workers to be in good job –one that pays at least $19 per hour, has health insurance, and has some kind of retirement plan” (Jones and Schmitt). The American Dream promises equal opportunity and acceptance for every citizen in America, but sometimes that does not seem to be true to people of an opposing race. Although some people claim that America still provides access to the American Dream due to all of the different opportunities that our government and schools offer, others believe there are some setbacks that can occur while trying to achieve one's goals; such as equality struggles within race and gender.

Recently there has been a lot of debate about the importance of college education. Students are asking if it’s worth the debt to attend a four year university or community college. Some are thinking what are the benefits of a degree is in the workforce. With college tuition increasing and state fundings lowering, low income students are struggling to attain a higher education. College institutions should have a role to provide students higher education and equal opportunity to students to increase social mobility yet intergenerational reproduction of privilege has produced inequality in education.

We have all heard of this intense rollercoaster ride that we are on called the American Dream. The term was coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 defining it as “dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.” Since it’s arrival, the Dream has evolved from a pursuit towards “freedom, mutual respect, and equal opportunity” (Shiller) to later one of greed described by Shiller as being “excessively lustful about homeownership and wealth” beginning in the 1960s. Traditionally, the American Dream included features of a nuclear family, that is one with a breadwinning father, a housewife, and two kids, owning a white picket fence home, thriving without financial worries, and a happy family. There has been a shift in focus for the Dream caused by the Millennial generation and in turn they have included features that place an emphasis on equality in all aspects of their lives from family life to the workplace placing their own twist on the Dream. The American Dream has evolved over time to include equal opportunities, college education, and happy family.

In the United States alone, minorities have struggled for centuries to earn the basic rights and opportunities as others. African Americans have always worked harder and been treated maliciously just because of the color of their skin. There have been numerous movements, peaceful protests, and brutal battles by black leaders against whites for equality, justice, and a fair chance at a better life. It is safe to say that in the past, blacks were not allowed to progress or have a mind of their own. In comparison to the past, the educational sector for minorities still remains as an extreme societal challenge. For many years, African Americans have been denied educational advancement opportunities. The higher education area suffers greatly for the black population but very few people will address why this matter occurs. Do black families’ socioeconomic status affect the children’s education? The socioeconomic status is easily defined as an individuals or families’ economic and social rank based on income, education level, and occupation. The socioeconomic status of black families does affect their children’s academic success, however; it does not determine their children’s success. This educational disadvantage for black students needs to be addressed because of the lack of financial and emotional support that minority students receive due to their parents lack of experience and knowledge with higher education. Many black students become a product of their environment because

In “Public Community Colleges: Creating Access and Opportunities for First-Generation College Students,” Everett argues that community colleges have been increasing to higher educations by enrolling members of low-income, first-generation, and many more. Everett also argues that college is limited because of costs, discrimination, and precollege preparation. Julia Everett also states some challenges faced after admission such as, students who have their mind set to transfer to a 4-year university only 46% actually complete that goal and rates are lower for those with a low-income. Helping first-generations students is beneficial to the economic.

Jay Matthews presents a different view on college admission in his article Multiplying Benefits of College for Everybody by showing the positive impact college has had on many, specifically low-income women, to make a statement on how important equal opportunities are. Matthews says, “at the moment only about a third of American adults have graduated from college, and the economy appears to have room for many more” (143). Matthews also points out that “millions of low-income Americans, their data demonstrate, have the ability to use college to acquire new skills and capabilities that improve their lives, and their children’s lives, in significant ways” and that “higher education… still is one of

We've been told that college is a game changer. Go to college and it will open doors for you. There will finally be opportunities available that were once reserved for the privileged few. What they didn't tell you is that there were hidden costs associated with this education.

In the 1931 award-winning book, The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams first publicly defined the American Dream as, "A dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” In retrospect, 1931 was a year of great nationalism, expansion and the closing note of the Roaring Twenties. However, with deeper analysis and understanding, Adams’ definition does not hold true in 2016. The American Dream of a “richer” and “fuller” life clearly isn’t for “everyone”. An actual and evident definition of the current American Dream is, a life that is fuller and richer for rich white men only. The American Dream is only achievable by rich white men due to gender

College is a privilege that is now accessible to many people. It has not always been this way though. Lack of money, being deprived of representation, or racism hindered one’s chances in to getting into higher education, especially a minority’s chance. In order to raise against the barriers, President John F. Kennedy created the affirmative action program to provide equal opportunities for everyone, whether in education or in the workforce. Even if this was a program created in the 1960’s, problems continue to present itself as shown through the many court cases, such as Brown vs. Board of Education, Fisher vs. University of Texas, Grutter vs. Bollinger et al, and Hopwood vs. State of Texas. Thus, racial inequality and affirmative action

The higher consideration of out-of-state applicants directly conflicts with most universities’ vision for a “diverse student body”, but that is another problem in itself. Education policy professor Ozan Jacquette’s argument -”out-of-state students are more affluent, more likely to have parents with a college degree, and are disproportionately white...out-of-state students correlated a decline in Black, Latino and low-income students” (Jacquette) - points out the shift in demographics that consequents to a noticeable shift in the types of students admitted. A California student Paolina Cuevas expresses her disbelief in her home state’s admission processes: “I will be the first in my family to go to college, and I prepared for college applications... I believe that our state institutions should be able to serve those of us who have grown up here” (Cuevas). Although Cuevas and I share the same bias towards the system, she thoroughly supports Jacquette’s claim that less privileged students are losing educational opportunity due to the growing figure of accepted out-of-state

Despite James Truslow Adams’ claim that,”life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement”, there is not equal opportunity for all Americans to strive for the American Dream. Many Americans are in social or economic situations that affect their access to a good education, proper healthcare, and many other factors that are essential to their success. Without equal access to these opportunities it is near impossible for one to achieve the American Dream.

Because community colleges are serving a wide variety of population with different needs, they have to make sure that each needs are fulfill and most important the mission is being carried out. “The students who attend to upgrade their skills for a particular job, students who are pursuing an associate degree to transfer to a 4-year institution, and students who attend to pursue a hobby (such as learning a language); the educational outcomes of community college students reflect this diversity” Students at Community Colleges. (n.d.). The purpose of the article was to inform the public about African American and Latina/o students who attend community colleges and the success and knowledge that they gain reflects on how well the overall experience at the community college have prepared them for the real world and their future.

“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 the fullest stature of which they are innately capable”(Adams). The dream discussed in this quote is called the American Dream. The American Dream is meant to be accessible by every American citizen but history has shown that this is not necessarily true. People have struggled to achieve the American Dream throughout history mainly because of racial discrimination and socioeconomic discrimination.

As a female middle-class Caucasian, due to American societal oppressions such as male domination, racism, and socioeconomics, my chances at earning a college degree are high. Furthermore, due to the constant historical changes that take place, my status as a college student would not have been the same seventy- five years ago. By further examining my gender, class, and race using the sociological imagination, the significance behind my status as a member of the 36% of Americans granted the privilege of a college education is revealed.