The American Dream: In Life and Literature

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date The American Dream: In Life and Literature Introduction The American Dream has not only provided hope to the American people but also people from around the world. It is based on the premise that regardless of where one comes from, success is achievable as long as individuals put in the effort and hard work (Newman 2). The number of illegal immigrants is evidence that many people are willing to do whatever it takes, even risk their lives, just to get a share of the American Dream. However, the American Dream has been criticized by some individuals, citing that it is unattainable and unrealistic. The American Dream offers hopes for economic empowerment for all people in America and failure to achieve economic success is viewed as a sign of personal failure. This paper aims at exploring whether the American Dream exists for all and whether it provides those who are willing to work with equal chances at real success. The paper posits that while the American dream exists, it is not available and accessible to every individual in America. Does the American Dream Exist for all People in America? Over the years, there have been many questions on whether the American Dream is available to all individuals in America, citizens or otherwise. These questions, mostly stem from the current state of discrimination against certain groups of people within the country. The question should not be on whether the American Dream exists, but whether it is accessible to everyone in America. To better explore and understand the issue of accessibility, it is important to focus on certain groups of people in the U.S. who have experienced the American Dream differently. Immigrants Many people have moved to the U.S., both legally and illegally, in pursuit of the American Dream (Neuman 93). These immigrants have faced challenges in this country that gave them hope and a promise of success. The differences in socio-economic status among immigrants are an indication that the American Dream does not exist for all people in America. Some can reach the dream while others spend their life struggling. According to Ruist (2), the ancestry of immigrants has affected their access to the American Dream, even among higher-generation immigrants. Given that higher generation immigrants have been born and raised by parents who were also born and raised in America, access to the American Dream should not be such a challenge. Lopez, Gonzalez-Barrera, and Krogstad indicate that only 66% of the higher generation immigrants believe that they are doing better than their parents, as compared to 80% of foreign-born immigrants. However, this provides evidence that access to the Dream is not available to all Americans and more so, among immigrants. Lopez, Gonzalez-Barrera and Krogstad, in a Pew Research Center study revealed that a majority of Latino immigrants believe in the American Dream more than the average American, yet they find it hard to reach than the average American. The fact that they believe in the American Dream implies that they are willing to work hard to achieve success, yet, in reality, they are unable to achieve the dream. This could be attributed to the level of ethnic consciousness, but ultimately, it is an indic...