A Raisin in the Sun by Hansberry and its Universality regarding Character, Plot, and Theme

Explain how the play A Raisin in the Sun is universal in terms of character, plot, and/or theme.
(Suggestion: In discussing how this play is universal, think in terms of the characters -- what they are like, the problems they face, and their relationships with one another; think of the plot—the situations they face and go through, and think about the themes. What aspects about any or all of these are universal?)
On the back cover of A Raisin in the Sun (the Vintage Books paperback edition we are using for this class), the universal issues and themes of this play are identified:
“In her portrait of an embattled Chicago family, Hansberry anticipated issues that range from generational clashes to the civil rights and women's movements. She also posed the essential questions—about identity, justice, and moral responsibility—at the heart of these great struggles. The result is an American classic.”
Another quote on the back cover from the Chicago Tribune also points out the universal appeal and relevance of the play:
“A play rooted in its own time that speaks through the years to our own.”
And in his Introduction to the play in our text (Vintage Books edition) Robert Nemiroff explains why it is not surprising that this play, though first performed in 1959, still remains so contemporary:
“For at the deepest level it is not a specific situation, but the human condition, human aspiration, and human relationships—the persistence of dreams. Of the bonds and conflicts between men and women, parents and children, old ways and new, and the endless struggle against human oppression, whatever the forms it may take, and for individual fulfillment, recognition, and liberation—that are at the heart of such plays. It is not surprising therefore that in each generation we recognize ourselves in them anew (p. 14).”
A Raisin in the Sun is a classic American play. It paints a vivid picture of the difficult life of an African American family living in a small tenement apartment in the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s—coping with 3 generations living together in cramped living conditions, dead-end jobs with no possibility of advancement, prejudice and racial discrimination. However, although the setting is specific in terms of time and place, and the characters specifically portrayed in terms of race and background, the work is also universal and timeless in its relevance and appeal. That is, what it shows or reveals about human beings and their relationships, about life in general, is true of people everywhere.