The American Dream

The American Dream

            What is the American Dream? You would naturally think the answer would be simple; the American Dream is about freedom, equality, and success. However, I think the answer to this question will depend on who you ask. Simply put, the American Dream means many different things to many different people. For me personally, I have to agree with Maya Lin when she says “the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling. To be able to do what you want to do is an incredible freedom.” I also believe that happiness is essential in living the American Dream.

            If you ask an American what their view of the American Dream would look like, you might find the answer to be success, power, and wealth. Now if you ask the same question of an immigrant fleeing their country, the answer may be something more along the lines of safety, freedom, and equality. Does that mean that Americans are greedy for wanting what they want? Of course not, it just means that Americans already have a sense of safety, freedom and equality. Immigrants come to America on a ray of hope; hope that they will be able to provide a better life for their family, a life that would not be possible if they stay in their home country. Even with our country in the financial mess it’s in, they still see hope for a better future.

             As the economy hit its financial downfall, the attitudes of Americans took a very dim turn. It suddenly felt that the hope for the American Dream was no longer achievable. People that were working hard to achieve the American Dream were now losing their jobs, homes, hope and in some cases, their families. While in this recession, American’s are starting to believe that the American Dream is becoming harder to achieve (Hanson, Zogby).

“In the U.S., the mood is sour. Americans are glum, dispirited and angry. The middle class, in particular, feels under assault. In a Newsweek poll in September, 63% of Americans said they did not think they would be able to maintain their current standard of living. Perhaps most troubling, Americans are strikingly fatalistic about their prospects. The can-do country is convinced that it can't (Zakaira). It’s easy to see that the downfall of the economy has taken a toll on the attitude of pursuing the American Dream (Hanson, Zogby). However, it is in this time that I find the American Dream more alive than ever before. I say this because it is in this time of hardships that a person discovers just how strong they truly are and once they discover this, anything is possible.

With most Americans having not been born charmed, living the American Dream will involve time, effort and of course, hard work. Financial success will not come overnight, just as an immigrant will not automatically become a citizen the minute they touch American soil. In order to live the Dream, you have to work for it.

With every person lies a different version of what the American Dream means to them. Whether it financial success, owning a home, having a family, having freedom, or equality, it all involves hard work and dedication. Bill Rancic says it best: “The American Dream is still alive out there, and hard work will get you there. You don't necessarily need to have an Ivy League education or to have millions of dollars startup money. It can be done with an idea, hard work and determination.”

The American Dream for me personally is to achieve financial success doing what I love, which is helping others. I can honestly say I am living the American Dream as I type this. I may not have a lot, but everything I have is mine; I am by no means a millionaire, but my greatest riches are my family. I am truly thankful to live in a country where all is possible; a country that opens its arms to immigrants giving them a chance at a better life; a country where you can dream a dream and then make it reality. America is truly the land of opportunity!