American Dream Dbq

The “American Dream” is the ideal that every US citizen, regardless of ethnic background, should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work. Millions of determined people come to America to find a better life and a chance at the American Dream, but the sad reality is that it is just a dream, and people eventually need to wake up or fall into despair. The collection of stories that is The House of Mango Street shows multiple characters that strive for, but cannot reach their dreams of a better life. Those people seem to be constantly locked in a fight to reach the American Dream, raising the question ‘what is the biggest struggle that stands in their way of a life of equality. Though language and discrimination
are displayed in The House of Mango Street, poverty is the biggest obstacle in reaching the American Dream.
Language is one obstacle to reaching the American Dream.
Many times throughout The House of Mango Street collection characters who do not speak English, either by choice, or incapability, have issues integrating into American society or have less worth to native English speakers. In document C, Mamacita comes to America with her son to live with her husband. Unable, and unwilling to speak English, Mamacita continues to be homesick and shies away anyone who tries to converse with her. Then, her son begins to sing English songs, his mother strongly protests, “No speak English, no speak English”. He was beginning to lose his ethnic culture and his roots to his mother. In document D a man named Geraldo was in a hit-and-run and died, a woman he had met earlier had not known anything about him and was not able to tell the police or hospital staff anything that would lead them to believe he was legal, or important to anyone, because he did not speak
English.
Another important struggle in reaching the American Dream is discrimination.
Discrimination is generally a big issue in America. Anyone not a white male faces some kind of discrimination. In The House of Mango Street we see both gender and ethnic discrimination. In document B Esperanza recalls, “Today while cooking oatmeal she is Madame Butterfly…I could’ve been somebody you know? Esperanza, you go to school.” Madame Butterfly is a tragic opera about a young Japanese girl who sacrifices everything and marries an American soldier, and when he leaves her for an American woman she commits suicide. Esperanza’s mother was smart but sacrificed everything and is putting everything on the line by leaving school and completely relying on her husband for an income. In document D Geraldo “no last name” was in a hit and run. He had nothing on him, no ID, license, or social security to indicate who he was, or if he was legal. There was an opportunity to save him, but because he was just a “wetback” he did not get the attention he should have and
died.
The biggest obstacle, in The House on Mango Street, to obtaining the American Dream is poverty. Everywhere in the world poverty is a huge issue that separates the lower class from the middle class, especially in America. In document A, Esperanza’s and her family continuously move until they end up “squatting” in a house on Mango Street. The house is very small, old, and unsanitary, but it’s all they can afford. In document C, “the man” worked two jobs, early to late, just to fly his wife and son over to America.
Esperanza and others strive for the American dream but never get close to achieving it. The American Dream displayed in The House of Mango Street has many hurdles like language and discrimination although the biggest obstacle is poverty.