Professor Goode
English 1
Essay #1 Final draft
September 26,2012
In the late 19th century, the discovery of gold in California drew thousands of people in from across the United States and all around the world in a feverish rush to strike rich. Many left everything behind to dare venture into the final frontier of the wilderness that was California. Word quickly spread about a land showered by sunshine and ripe with gold ready for the picking. As a result, the California dream developed and quickly romanticized imaginations all across the world with its promise of easy money and lure of adventure. Today, the California dream stands high like the palm trees that adorn Hollywood boulevard; captivating the hearts of people who wish to live big like movie stars. However, due to overcrowding, unemployment and high living costs, the California dream seems to be nothing more than fool’s gold. California currently finds itself in an economic state of crises that simply makes the California dream unaffordable. It is virtually impossible for the average person to achieve their California dream. Overcrowding has become a serious issue in California. The more people that immigrate to California, the greater the strain becomes on its already scarce resources. As a result, there is less opportunity for people to fulfill theire dreams. It’s not hard to miss the signs. From jam-packed freeways to overcrowded classrooms, this problem is very much real and is a cause of huge inconvenience for its residents. This burden weighs down all Californians who aspire for a greater quality of life. For example, students are forced to compete not only for seats in classrooms, but for instruction from overwhelmed teachers as well. When people can’t get the right education and skills needed for higher paying jobs they dream of, they’re left with no other choice but to compete with one another once again for low paying jobs. The unemployment rate in California is