Inequalities In America

The word “opportunity” is defined as the circumstance available to achieve one’s goals. It is a word that is especially applicable to America; the idea of America as nation where anybody has the opportunity to succeed is so embedded into the American identity that “opportunity” has transcended its dictionary definition. It has become an intrinsic part of the American Dream, a word ingrained with the history of many generations. To many, America is often considered the land of opportunity; from the earliest colonizers, who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean for religious freedom and economic gains, to pioneers who traveled in wagon trains to the American west in pursuit of gold and land, to immigrants throughout history who have come to America for a better life. America has always been seen as a place where people can strive to improve their lot in life, as long as they had the determination and perseverance to do so. Despite this idealistic image of America, however, it is not always supported in reality. We should aim to appreciate, to strive for, to live the ideal that hard work leads to success, but we should also acknowledge
the real world contradictions that lie within this idea.
In modern America’s very beginning, the first permanent colony, Jamestown, was founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company. The company shareholders and colonists were composed of English investors seeking to profit from the New World. Thirteen years later, in 1620, a group of Puritans, the Pilgrims of the Mayflower, founded the Plymouth Bay colony. The Puritans were Separatists who held disagreements with the Church of England, and subsequently sailed to America in search of religious freedom. Many of the following colonies followed the same model; people came to America for opportunity, whether the opportunity for religious freedom, or the opportunity for profit. In many cases, the colonists initially struggled to survive in an unfamiliar world, yet through hard work, and it should be noted, help from Native American tribes, they were eventually able to bloom into prosperous colonies. The ideal of opportunity is found in the very origins of modern America, where America was viewed as a land where people could start their lives anew and through blood, sweat, and tears, make a better life for themselves.
The next steps in American history that define “opportunity” are the expansions in the American frontier. The expansion of the earliest colonies past the Appalachian mountains, the exploration of the newly acquired Louisiana territory, the migration west during the mid-1800s; throughout history, the American west had been seen as the land of freedom and opportunity, much like America itself had been perceived to colonists who had immigrated from England. This is best exemplified by the mid-1800s, when a combination of the discovery of gold, which sparked the gold rush, unclaimed tracts of land, which appealed to farmers, and the desire to move away from the increasingly populated east sparked a mass movement westward, cementing another archetype of “opportunity” into the American psyche - the pioneer.
Even in the modern day, America is seen as a paragon of freedom. People immigrate to America from countries all over the world in search of a better life. I can personally relate to the perception of America as the land of opportunity. My parents, who were both born and raised in China, decided to immigrate to America before I was born. Throughout my life, my parents have consistently emphasized to me that in coming to America, they sought the freedom of social mobility. Through hard work, they managed to establish lives for themselves in a new country. The mindset that helped them do so, of persevering and toiling, they have instilled in me. My parents drive me to use and appreciate the opportunities I have; the opportunity of being born into a country that prioritizes freedom of expression, the opportunity to pursue my own interests, the opportunities that come with good education. Yet, despite the gains for some, it must be remembered that these opportunities were built off the backs of others. Although some colonies managed to cooperate with Native American tribes, others slaughtered, displaced, and spread decimating diseases (whether advertently or inadvertently) among them. The cash crop agriculture that allowed the colonies to thrive and painted the colonies as a desirable destination for white settlers was founded off the backs of oppressed African slaves. The opportunities for white Americans continued to come at the expense of Native Americans during the period of mass migration west. The pioneers who found new lives in the west through the doctrine of Manifest Destiny did so at the expense of millions of forcibly displaced and killed Native Americans. In taking opportunities for themselves, settlers simultaneously took opportunities from the Native Americans and African slaves.
Furthermore, even in the modern day, thinking of America as the land of opportunity has its conflicts.
Inequality is a real problem that many Americans face. Those who are born into poorer households empirically have less opportunities than those who are not, a fact that is especially true for people of color. Lower incomes, higher rates of unemployment, higher rates of poverty; all of these are elements that prevent people of color from achieving the same kind of social mobility as the white majority. When considered alongside a multitude of social and systemic discriminatory factors, it is clear that the same opportunities are not afforded to everybody (PERIODIC SENTENCE). Despite the progress that has been made over the past two centuries, there is still a long way to go when it comes to truly making America a land of equal
opportunity. Ultimately, like almost any aspect of the American Dream, the ideal of America as a land of opportunity, where anybody can succeed, has its truths and its contradictions. We should acknowledge the realities of the situation, while still believing in the American Dream as a goal to reach (HORTATIVE SENTENCE). To believe in the American Dream, that America is a land where those who work hard can succeed, and each person has the opportunity to improve their lot in life, is an ideal that America as a whole should strive for. It is my hope that in the future, America truly becomes a nation where anybody, no matter what their background, has an equal opportunity to succeed in life.