What Does The American Dream Mean To Me
The American Dream is like a fingerprint. Everybody has them but they are all so different. These dreams represent the inner thoughts, hopes, and goals of the people. Often the American Dream is portrayed as unattainable or as a tool used by industries to manipulate the lower and middle class. The reality is, the American Dream is not the same American Dream as it was when the country was founded in 1776. It has morphed to shape citizens and immigrants as individuals.
My American Dream is to live my life without restrictions. To have a life where I can own my own home, go to whatever school I want to, and have social mobility. My dream is to never feel stuck doing something that doesn’t make me happy. The American Dream to me means so much
more than just wealth and power. To me it means taking the fullest advantage of opportunities that were not available to women throughout history. It means following whatever religion I want to without being ridiculed or forced to follow one that the government has “approved of”. The American Dream to me is to have the ability to fight for my rights and make a change in my life and the lives of my family, friends, and those who can not do it for themselves.
Like anything else there are things that can stand in the way of people living out their dream. Factors such as race, money, location, physical/mental disabilities, etc… are all obstacles that can potentially make carrying out ones dream impossible. Fortunately for me, I was born into a middle class white family. I am not forced to face the same obstacles that somebody of a different race, country of origin, or socioeconomic status might encounter. It is this reason that I look at the American dream as a race. The catch is, the runners are all located in uneven distances from the finish line. Somebody who is born into an upper class family is much closer to the finish line than someone who was born into poverty. Although it is possible for the runner farther from the finish line to finish first, it will require much more drive and hard work in order to do so.
My American Dream is to live my life without restrictions. To have a life where I can own my own home, go to whatever school I want to, and have social mobility. My dream is to never feel stuck doing something that doesn’t make me happy. The American Dream to me means so much
more than just wealth and power. To me it means taking the fullest advantage of opportunities that were not available to women throughout history. It means following whatever religion I want to without being ridiculed or forced to follow one that the government has “approved of”. The American Dream to me is to have the ability to fight for my rights and make a change in my life and the lives of my family, friends, and those who can not do it for themselves.
Like anything else there are things that can stand in the way of people living out their dream. Factors such as race, money, location, physical/mental disabilities, etc… are all obstacles that can potentially make carrying out ones dream impossible. Fortunately for me, I was born into a middle class white family. I am not forced to face the same obstacles that somebody of a different race, country of origin, or socioeconomic status might encounter. It is this reason that I look at the American dream as a race. The catch is, the runners are all located in uneven distances from the finish line. Somebody who is born into an upper class family is much closer to the finish line than someone who was born into poverty. Although it is possible for the runner farther from the finish line to finish first, it will require much more drive and hard work in order to do so.