Category: American Dream

Money and the American Dream: Essay

Immigration has been a significant impact on Americans’ dreams since the late 1800s-1900s involving around ten-million immigrants getting into us. This has stimulated resentful attitudes from Americans as a result of immigrants obtain their dreams here, rental immigrants have a touch additional attention than Americans do. To measure the American Dream would be to measure in peace with no worries concerning cash, safety, hunger or loss… cash could be a sturdy consider this dream to most resulting in the very fact of the American Dream to be implausible.

Yankee’s dreams have become distant once it involves immigration, wealth and one’s conviction. America has been a land of opportunities for people across the planet for hundreds of years. America has been benevolent enough to administer immigrants living here, but generosity will offer the glory of a brand-new life to at least one person, and a glum life to a different person following up lost dreams. To demonstrate, in Barack Obama’s speech ‘Keynote Address to the 2004 Democratic National Convention’ Barack persuades “Barracks parents fanciful American state about to the simplest colleges within the land, albeit they weren’t made, as a result of in a very generous America you do not get to be made to realize your potential” (Obama, 79). Hot immigrants have impacts on the American Dream as a result of they are doing not have as several benefits for the geographic point and support that takes support faraway from Americans checking out their American Dream. Explore Barack and his family, for example, they found additional doable opportunities and Barack succeeded enormously changing into the President of us being rare for many folks, however not most are determined.

Following up, ‘Roberto Acuna Talks Concerning Farm Workers’ by Studs Terkel, he explains in a very literary work the struggle of operating towards the dream: “If we tend to have correct compensation, we tend to wouldn’t be got to be operating seventeen hours each day and following the crops…Being a migrant, it tears your family apart. You get in debt. you permit the world hard up. the kids’ area unit those hurt the foremost. they’re going to high school 3 months in one place then on to a different…Right here your childhood is detached. Thus, after they develop, they’re trying to find this childhood they need to be lost” (Terkel, 77).

Each man and ladies within the world don’t continually get the possibility to measure the ‘perfect life’ as a result of they need a scarcity of cash, it’s the rationale immigrants choose our country as a result of it’s the cash pot. However, cash isn’t true love folks thus dearly want in romantic movies, it’s to a majority of individuals, the distinction between life and death. nonetheless one will create the hassle to suppose, to suppose before AN action and to suppose whether or not or not the result goes to be a profit to receive cash or a bullet to the chest. Sadly, cash could be a likelihood of luck. Not most are born equal, some area unit born into life with old money in their mouth, and a few area units born into the dirt. curiously, this is often a lamentable scenario towards the American Dream as a result of it’s a fifty-fifty shot at a ‘perfect life’.

Within the literary work ‘Europe and America’ by David Ignatow, is inventive with the comparison of feelings amongst cash “While I’m bedded upon soft inexperienced cash that grows like grass. Thus, between my father United Nations agency lives on a bed of anguish for his daily bread, and that I United Nations agency tear cash at leisure by the roots” (Ignatow, 66). The attention-grabbing use of diction ‘anguish’, which implies severe mental or physical pain, battling cash is expedient for the opposite use of diction ‘leisure’, which means the use of free time for enjoyment, the comparison cash environments.

Yankee’s dreams area unit suffering from the ways that governments rule bills, rent, or any sort of cash collection hounds have an interest in as a result of its drains and puts oneself into serious debt. For this purpose, ‘A Dried Fruit Within the Sun’ by French region Hansberry calibrates a scenario involving a family with multiple desires: “I ought to go to work. We want the cash…Somebody would have thought my youngsters have done nearly starved to death the approach they say cash here late (thoughtfully, and suddenly terribly way away): 10 thousand dollars – positive is marvelous. 10 thousand dollars” (Hansberry, 71). Money. Money. Money. This is often a really necessary key to the American Dream that is extremely renowned, however, it’s extraordinarily laborious to urge for several reasons like the incorrect folks being answerable of United Nations agency deserves the assistance, United Nations agency deserves the peace and United Nations agency deserves the happiness. The utilization of continuance ‘ten thousand dollars’ is that this statement is to evoke the sturdy that means and hope that’s within the way forward for life ever-changing cash. For one to hold the sturdy characteristic of self-belief, belief may be cajoled into the minds of the many people United Nations agency believes an additional satisfying future however not everybody believes they’re capable of achieving the American Dream. Specially, belief is expressed within the literary work ‘Africa to America’ by poet by rental there be a savior in our faults: “It was an American, who brought me from my Pagan land, schooled my benighted soul to grasp. That there’s a God, that there’s a Savior too: once I redemption neither sought-after nor knew” (Wheatley, 65).

The Benefits of Raising the Minimum Wage: An Essay

Introduction to Minimum Wage History and Current Challenges

In 1938 during the Great Depression, President Roosevelt established The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which introduced the federal minimum wage to the United States. It was introduced as a way to stabilize the post-depression economy and as a way to protect workers in the labor force by establishing a certain amount of pay. In the beginning, the minimum wage was $0.25 per hour and has been raised twenty-two times since. However, since the 1960’s there has been no adjustment for inflation and has remained $7.25 per hour since 2009. Americans are struggling to live off the minimum wage, and it is almost impossible for the workers to afford simple necessities, not to mention things like education and healthcare. While Americans are accustomed to having a minimum wage, the real value of these wages has sadly declined over time. For example, the minimum wage has not kept with inflation over the years and as a result, low-wage workers are not benefiting from economic growth and productivity that has been seen over the years. According to the Center for Economic Policy Research had the minimum wage kept with inflation and productivity increases it would be around $24 per hour (Baker). Although our economy would not be able to support this kind of increase even phased over a long time, it demonstrates that wages have not kept pace with productivity.

The American Dream and Minimum Wage: A Conflict

The belief in the American Dream holds a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success as well as upward social mobility for the individual, family, and children. This ideal is achieved through hard work in a society with very few barriers. However, the low-wage earners who do not receive a living wage, are unable to make any upward mobility. Which is in disagreement with the idea of the American Dream. These workers are some of the most hardworking employees, even when they desire to upgrade their skills, it is hard, they are caught up in a vicious cycle of poverty. While the topic of raising the minimum wage is a difficult and hot-button topic as of late, it does share many conflicting sides. The raising of the minimum wage would greatly benefit the nation as it needs desperately to find financial stability for all its citizens. By increasing the minimum wage, we are not only stimulating the economy by putting more money in the wallets of workers, but we will lessen the need for government assistance for many families and would encourage workers to be dedicated to their jobs.

Economic and Social Benefits of Raising the Minimum Wage

First, raising the minimum wage will provide financial support for low-income families and help reduce poverty but minimize the social-economic imbalance between low and middle-income workers. As it stands today, an American under the age of 65 living in a one-person household working full time at $7.25 per hour will earn about $15,080 in a year. Though this is higher than the federal poverty level, $13,465; but is still below the current poverty level of $17,839, for a single-parent family with a child under 18 years of age (Census.gov). Through examining multiple scenarios members of the Congressional Budget Office concluded that an increase of $15 per hour by 2025 would increase the wages of 17 million workers who currently earn less than $15 per hour, and would increase an additional 10 million who make slightly more than $15 per hour. Which by 2025 would bring an estimated 1.3 million people above the poverty threshold (CBO).

There have been arguments that there has been wage growth among workers, however, the growth has largely has gone to those of the highest earners, that of the CEOs and management, not the front-line workers, who are the backbone of the working class. While there has been growth, mostly to the top earners, there still remains a significant gap between not only low and middle-income workers but amongst the races. Many economists believe that by increasing the minimum wage these gaps will reduce which is in support of raising the wage (Smith). Not only will increasing the minimum wage help those who are below the poverty line obtain their American Dream, but it will help decrease the gaps we see among different genders and races. A higher minimum wage reduces income inequality while providing an incentive to work. This incentive will make it better for society as a whole. By raising the minimum wage not only will individuals but families be able to achieve what they were working toward, but will improve their overall standard of living and provide them the means of handling any increases to the cost of living, that happen no matter what the minimum wage is.

Improving Employee Morale and Productivity Through Fair Wages

Secondly, increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to even $10 or $15 would reduce poverty but improve job satisfaction and would create stronger morale among employees and leadership. Many agree that if employees are properly compensated, both job satisfaction and overall morale in the workplace boots. Workers are less likely to leave to find other high-paying jobs, and are more confident and proud of what they produce, reducing turnover and expensive retraining costs. Not only would an increase benefit the worker but the business as well. This truly translates to employees are more willing to stay longer with a company, and possibly move upwards. Many argue that by increasing the minimum wage companies will have to lay off employees and increase prices, although it has historically been seen when these changes happen with short notice to companies this has been the case. When the increases are scheduled and implemented slowly consumers and the company has seen a smaller effect on prices and unemployment. When employee morale is high and productivity is increased the company witnessed higher profits from those employees. This benefits all levels of the company from the front-line worker to the CEO.

From my personal experience, when the company I work for began increasing the minimum wage, they did so slowly and will have everyone up to $15 per hour in the next two years. While those who were below the thresh hold were given larger increases there were increases from the least paid to those who had already topped out at the top of the pay scale. People who hadn’t seen raises were now seeing them and that certainly increased not only low morale but also employee productivity. People were happy and were willing to come to work because they were properly being compensated. Although these are intangible benefits to increasing the minimum wage, they go a far distance in creating revenue for companies.

Economic Growth and Reduced Government Welfare with Higher Wages

Lastly and most importantly, by raising the minimum wage the economy would see an increase as well as see a decrease in government-sponsored welfare spending. Though many are fearful an increase in wages would increase the prices of goods and services as companies pass the increase onto the consumer, which would not benefit the economy, many don’t believe it will be enough for consumers to feel it. Daniel Kuehn, a research associate at The Urban Institute, stated: “A wage hike might raise prices of goods and services, but the increases will be spread out among many consumers” (Smith, 2021). Historically, consumer spending increases when wages increase. A higher minimum wage would put more dollars in the pockets of millions of workers, which they then turn around and pour into retailers and other businesses. This not only increases the demand for goods and services but increases business revenue as well. When there is a rise in demand consequently there rise in the need for workers, so an increase in wages would in the long run create more jobs.

Not only will an increase boost the economy, but it’s also believed that if low-income workers earned more, they would no longer be dependent on or even eligible for government assistance. The fewer people eligible or dependent on the government programs would cause the spending on government benefits to decrease. According to the Center of American Progress, a 10% increase in wages would reduce SNAP enrollments by between 7.5% and 8.7% or 3.1 million to 3.6 million people. The total annual decrease in the program would be nearly $4.6 billion, or about 6% of current expenses (West and Reich, 2014). Though many will still argue that raising the minimum wage won’t alleviate poverty and government welfare spending completely, it will help millions in the end and lower the amount the country spending on these programs. By reducing government spending on public assistance, there would be billions available for improvements and other programs available annually. Statistically, for every $1 that wages increase among low-workers who rely on public government assistance, government spending falls roughly by $5.2 billion (Cooper, 2016).

Even if many are in favor of increasing the minimum wage of $7.25 many are not sold on the $15 per hour offer. A major debate concerning the raising of the minimum wage is the misconception it will be disastrous for everyone, from the employee to the CEO, but especially small business owners. I can certainly understand the fear they may have, but the larger corporations have not increased either. While many consequences can’t be foreseen, many states have already increased to $15 per hour and are reaping the benefits, from corporations profiting to employee retention increasing. If looking state to state does not convince you that the minimum wage is needed to be increased, as many as above the minimum and are closing in on the $15 per hour. The United States has the lowered minimum wage, while still having a higher cost of living them other developed countries that have a minimum wage. While we stand at $7.25 per hour other countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and other European Union Counties are roughly the equivalent of $10.7-15.84 per hour USD.

Conclusion: The Path Forward for Minimum Wage Policy

As one can see, increasing the minimum wage will not only retain hardworking loyal employees but will improve morale, productivity, and job satisfaction, ultimately leading to economic prosperity, reducing poverty, and decreasing government welfare spending. It is the responsibility for our politicians, government officials, businesses, and managers to advocate for our workers so they can survive in today’s economy. Raising the minimum wage should not be are the argument of what may happen but rather what is morally right for the working class and less what the business owner feels. Whatever comes next for the federal minimum wage remains to be seen, but we now know if done slowly and properly instead of all at once we will see less effect on the consumer than before. For now, most Americans are in favor of an increase, and the battle continues for each side.

White Collar Crime: Sociological Positivism Strain Theory And Differential Association

This essay will talk about sociological positivism strain theory by Merton and differential association by Sutherland.

The strain theory is a sociological theory in Criminology. Merton explained deviancy and said it is a very hard for society to achieve the societal goals. These goals were classed as the American dream which is wealth, freedom, ownership and prosperity. Everyone wants to achieve these goals however due to deprivation or other personal issues people are not able to attain these goals. For example, if a person wanted to become a professor in criminology but couldn’t because it takes at least about 10 years of teaching to become one and a person must pass many degrees to become it. “The strain theory developed from the functionalist perspective that human behaviour determined by social structure. Robert Merton was a leading social strain theorist who concentrated on explaining deviancy.” (Joyce 20170

Therefore, people may buy this professor qualification the illegitimate way. These are reasons why people can turn towards crime. Another example is a person from a lower social class might want to go to university and get a degree but due to their social class they can’t afford it therefore the person may turn towards crime. An example of a personal issue is a people loved one might die therefore due to them grieving they might not able to complete their degree.

The middle class have better opportunities for work and have better education. This is due to their income. This can lead on to the American dream meaning they have a better chance of achieving this. A working class may see this in a different way as they may feel to get this American dream they can’t achieve it the legitimate way therefore this why they may turn towards crime.

Merton created a deviance typology:

Ritualism: This is about a person accepting the society’s success goals such as cultural goals. Those who can’t achieve these goals but still try to attain these goals no matter what. However, these people still have feelings of despair because they know the reality that they can’t achieve these goals, so they hide from the reality. Merton suggests that when society can’t attain these goals then it comes stressful as a strain. “Ritualism is a concept developed by American sociologist Robert K. Merton as a part of his structural strain theory. It refers to the common practice of going through the motions of daily life even though one does not accept the goals or values that align with those practices.” https://www.thoughtco.com/ritualism-3026527 Some people in this category may still challenge some of these goals. He believed that ritualism occurs when a person rejects the norms of society goals but they still won’t turn towards deviancy because the person still carries on trying to attain these goals.

Innovation: This is when a person can’t achieve society’s success goals due to their economic issues therefore, they pursue this in illegitimate ways for example a person buying a degree from a software. They use criminal methods to get their way in. another example would be a person plagrising someone’s work. A crime that would be under this category is white collar crime.” using socially unapproved or unconventional means to obtain culturally approved goals. Example: dealing drugs or stealing to achieve financial security. https://revisesociology.com/2016/04/16/mertons-strain-theory-deviance/” This is associated with fraud and done by respectable members of the society. Certain businesses may have low profit or may not be doing well so they may do this to attain a good business and good profit.

Retreatism is when a person rejects society’s success goals. In this category people will turn towards crime and deviancy.” retreatism you reject this culturally acceptable goal. You might adopt a different goal like religion. Furthermore, you reject the institutionalized means to achieve the cultural goal of the former. https://www.quora.com/In-sociology-what-is-Retreatism The crime that will be in this category are drugs. People in this stage tend to get depressed and have no money for their financial needs therefore they turn towards crime to get money and feed their family with it.

Rebellion is when is incapable of achieving society’s success goals therefore they may turn towards crime. In this stage people get depressed and may turn towards violence due to aggression. They may replace these goals with other goals they are able to achieve.

Evaluation: The advantages of this theory are that it has evidence that strains are related to crime, it influences other theorists, explains how individual adjust to social strain and the disadvantages are that not everyone commits crime even though they may have strain it doesn’t necessarily mean they will turn towards crime, it doesn’t take an individualistic approach, ignores gang crime and it doesn’t explain why people isolate themselves from the culture goals.

Differential association: This is a theory made by Edwin Sutherland. He believed that no one is born a criminal therefore they must be learning with others to perform a criminal act. Such as if a person commits murder and another person would have interactions with them and they would see exactly how they would do it as murder can get very messy, so they would need to be organised with this certain crime. This can be explained to show how crime breeds amongst specific social groups and communities and it explains why released prisoners have high offending rates. Prisoners may gain knowledge of other specific crimes through observational learning. Therefore, this is a learning process. This theory looks at white collar crime and how it could be applied to the lower social status group. The differential association stated that the methods of committing crime, rationalisations and motives of attitudes which were favourable towards disobeying the law were aspect of a normal learning process. According to et al “for Sutherland criminal behaviour is learned behaviour and arises when someone is in an environment where it can be absorbed. He considered the way which criminal behaviour might become an individual’s normal behaviour is that it would be learnt” (Case etal, 2017).

Sutherland also suggested that people are nurtured through criminality therefore he means those parents who are offenders and feel it is acceptable to steal then their children will most likely become criminals. He also believed criminals learn criminal behaviour from personal groups. Also, he believes that it is the process of communication. He believes there are no biology features which contribute to a person committing a crime.

Also, Sutherland suggests that we can get influenced through the media and by our role models. For example, if a child watches horror movie where there are murder cases in them then they may be likely to turn towards this crime. It doesn’t necessarily mean that if someone watches horror movies or engages with other offenders it doesn’t mean they will become an offender as well, but it does mean they do have criminal resources.

Sutherland believes that the specific direction of motives and attitudes are learned from definitions from legal codes such as favourable and unfavourable to the violation of law. “These ratio of these definitions or views of crime-whether criminal or conventional influences are stronger in a person’s life-determines whether the person embraces crime as an acceptable way of life” (Lilly et al, 2015).

These are principles of differential association. “Thus, Sutherland contended that any person would inevitably meet definitions of favourable to violation of law “and with definitions of unfavourable to violation of law.” (lilly,2015) This suggest that it attributes to both anti criminal and pro criminal associations. If a person becomes a criminal, then they will associate themselves with criminal patterns due to isolation from anti criminal patterns. Our culture can be a conflict to for example people who are southern don’t pronounce the r in a word because other southern don’t therefore this proposition of differential association means that associations are neutral, and crime has no little or no effect on the criminal behaviour. Majority of the time this is naturally normal for the person as some people adhere and accept these legal codes. This is due to their norms and values meaning the way they have been brought up. Those who disregard these legal codes will turn towards crime. To them stealing or committing other crimes are a norm for them.

Differential association may differ in duration, frequency, intensity and intensity. Evaluation: A strength of this theory is the contribution it made towards changing people’s views about the origins of criminal behaviour. It can explain why people are engaged towards crime and how it can be learned through personal interactions. This theory can be explain why rates of crime were higher in certain areas in England: Where groups are organising crime such as in slums. The definitions of favouring legal violations flourish. Therefore, this suggests people are likely to learn to differentially associate with criminal values. This theory disregards neo-Lombroso theory which suggests that people are born criminals. This theory doesn’t take social interactions into account whereas Sutherlands helps to explain the causes of crime and personal experiences. Also, it is a very powerful theory as it helps people to understand crime for example Sutherland helped us to understand that those who are living within a conventional safe neighbourhood will most likely stay away from crime, attend church services and be part of football games whereas in a unconventional neighbourhood people will more than likely turn towards crime and will learn how to commit theft. Also, Sutherland looked everyone from different backgrounds and how they can all commit crime, so it shows he was never biased in his work.

A criticism of this theory would be it is very simple therefore it can’t explain all crimes such as crime as a passion. It doesn’t take into account social factors and individual factors. Also, Sutherland didn’t provide a scientific framework to predict future offending.

Sutherland also did research on white collar crimes. He believed people from the lower social status can commit these crimes too. An example of white collar crime is money laundering. A person must learn this sort of crime in order to get away with it. This is mainly committed by respectable business men, their motive for doing this is too improve their organisation.

In conclusion these both theories explain that society aims to achieve the American dream but we all choose different ways of achieving these goals. Sutherland and Merton suggest why people engage in crime and deviance. Sutherland suggests we learn everything therefore criminal behaviour is learnt as well. This theory focuses on who the offender engages with and what social factor could’ve contributed to the criminal behaviour whereas the strain theory explains deviance as the outcome of social strains. These two theories can be used to explain youth crime the differential association. Therefore, there are many advantages for both the theories but the strain theory has more power to it as it can be used to explain the strains of the society which may influence people to engage in criminal activities. This theory can be used to help the government tackle youth crime and improv the social structure within the society for example: better jobs, youth clubs and better education opportunities.

Analysis of the Valley of Ashes Symbolism

There is something quite interesting when people talk about the American Dream. Gatsby spends his whole life trying to work hard to get money and the girl. Daisy on the other hand has everything handed to her and didn’t want someone with no money. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbols such as the valley of ashes, the green light, and the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg to indicate how greed, materialism, and the loss of moral values in society contributed to the unattainability and corruption of the American Dream.

The valley of ashes symbolizes the consequences and corruption of materialism in America. Its occupants represent those confined in their pursuit of the American Dream meanwhile the rich enjoy their wealth and success in East and West egg. In reality, the valley of ashes is described as a grey, desolate, and filthy motor road, lodged between west egg and the rest of New York. “This is the valley of ashes- a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens …”(Fitzgerald 21). This description shows the repercussion of moral and societal decay in the American Dream. This embodies the American Dream and when Myrtle died, Fitzgerald’s construction of her death scene in the valley symbolizes how impossible the American Dream is and its corruption by the rich in the “Roaring 20s”. Also, people in the valley of ashes were very hardworking people, “But above the gray land and the spasm of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it …”(Fitzgerald 23). Even though the working class contributes to the success of the working city, their work is forgotten behind “the spasm of bleak dust”. The valley of ashes symbolizing the miserable lives of its inhabitants strongly implies that due to society’s extreme materialism, the American Dream has been unattainable.

The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock symbolizes the impossibility of the American Dream and society’s materialistic and immoral desires. The green light at Buchanan’s dock symbolizes Gatsby’s American Dream which is winning back Daisy’s love and in doing so that will completing his American Dream. “He stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way …”(Fitzgerald 20). This is the scene where Gatsby looks across Daisy’s life in East egg, an island that represents old money in America. The green light on Daisy’s dock symbolizes how riches and social work have socially and morally corrupted the American Dream. This quote makes it evident to the reader that the green light symbolizes the impossibility of the American Dream, and it is situated on Daisy’s dock symbolizes the people who have morally corrupted it. Another quote that supports this interpretation of the green light is “Gatsby believed in the green light”(Fitzgerald 259). Gatsby still lives in the past and still believes in the uncorrupted American Dream, where people’s morals conquer materialism. The green color represents Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy, who embodies his American Dream as well as his devotion to love. Gatsby’s catastrophic pursuit of the green light symbolizes how America’s materialistic values corrupted the American Dream and made it impossible to achieve.

The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg emulate the corruption of materialism of the 1920s American Dream; furthermore, their eyes symbolically watch and frown upon society’s loss of moral values in the pursuit of wealth and success. Dr. T.J. Ecklerburg’s billboard promotes the business of a successful oculist clinic in NYC. The ad watches over the desolate and endless valley of ashes. The eyes of the rich oculist symbolize those hopelessly trapped in the valley, taunted by the alluring American Dream and its wealth and happiness. “But above the gray …”(Fitzgerald 37). This quote shows that the yes, purposely looking over the poor inhabitants’ desire, that is the American Dream. “I told her she might fool me but she couldn’t fool God …”(Fitzgerald 229). George Wilson connects the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg to the eyes of God. This allusion epitomizes the loss of religious and moral values in America, as their God has been reduced to an oculist’s billboard watching over an industrial wasteland inhabited by those left out of the American Dream.

Fitzgerald portrayed the American Dream using the valley of ashes, the green light, and Dr. T.J.Eckleburg. He showed some belief in the idea and supported the theory that no matter what class anyone comes from, it is always possible for them to try and achieve success in the American Dream.

American Dream and Consumerism in ‘The Great Gatsby’ Essay

Oikos involves an ancient Greek household, family, or house that formed the basic unit of society in Greek city-states. Therefore, in the family setting, it meant the line of descent from the father to the son through inheritance from generation to generation (Fitzgerald 2007). In a political context, as used by Aristotle, Oikos involve people living in a particular house and would include immediate family, slaves, and the head of the Oikos. Oikos comprise people with different connotations in terms of what they own, their leaders, and the number of members. Depending on how extended it is, Oikos incorporate people only living in the Oikos but not those outside the Oikos. Therefore, this paper aims to explore Oikos and its relation to the Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald. The paper will be examined based on the aspect of blindness in The Great Gatsby.

“The Great Gatsby” is an ultra-modernist novel which was written by an American Scott Fitzgerald. The book is a symbolic reflection of what happened in the United States, especially on the collapse of the American dream on aspects of materialism and wealth (Joucla & Fitzgerald 2012). The two elements discussed in the novel relate to the West and East, each with different connotations and people living in each part. The two small islands East and West Eggs, are identical in terms of contours but different in many ways. The two pieces are different in terms of people living where the West Egg represents old money, and people living in this part inherited their fortune. On the same note, they look down upon the poor living in the Eastern Egg. In return, those in the East Egg participate in organized crimes and Hollywood to earn their fortunes. Therefore, both parts (eggs) are characterized in different ways where those living in the West have been regarded to be fair, sophisticated, and relatively innocent/naïve. Those in the East were characterized as corrupt and greedy. For example, West Egg is less fashionable, and this is where Bick and Gatsby love. On the contrary, the East Egg is regarded to be fashionably characterized by white palaces where Tom and Daisy live their comfortable and carefree lives. The color white is symbolic to indicate that things could be pure and innocent, but corruption lies on the inside of the Oikos.

The aspect of social class is depicted in the novel representing two different people with money and those without money. The bay between the two small islands represents the difference between the wealthy and poor social classes in the community which may not be met due to the difference in their social standards (Cameron 2008). However, when others join the other, for instance, the poor working for the rich, they are manipulated using excessive force to meet the standards of the wealthy. In this case, Easterners, who moved to the West Egg, have taken their mannerisms with them with their new life in the West. Gatsby is an excellent example of this novel. Another symbolic aspect in the Valley of the Ashes represents social and moral decay in society due to the unconstrained search for resources and wealth. In this case, the rich treat themselves to be of a high standard and consider their pleasure as of great importance more than anything else in the community. The valley is a colorless and desolate area because it is a dumping site for the ashes, and the parties present in this area are noisy and drunken compared to the parties in the West. They are relaxed and silent while enjoying their pleasure.

Throughout this novel, it displays people who watch their lives unfold, but despite seeing what happens, they do nothing to change the situation. They are figuratively blind because they are unable to see the truth in every case they face (Trümper 2011). Major themes portrayed through symbols include loss of social and moral standards alongside conflicting perceptions. The Oikos are related to these parts, the West and the East, where people living in Oikos are identified based on their control. Based on the ancient Greek, Oikos involves three distinct aspects, which include the family, family property, and the house. The house here refers to the homes that were made of sun-dried mud bricks, but the aspect of West and East, as depicted in the novel, is explained here. The numbers in the Oikos were differentiated based on how wealthy the members of the Oikos were. The West, in this case, represents the wealthy who live in large Oikoi while the poor represent those in the East who struggle through hard ways to earn money. Therefore, there were two types of houses for the poor and the wealthy (Joucla & Fitzgerald 2012). In this case, the latter inherited their wealth/old money from wealthy families, and the former earned a living through illegal practices such as selling alcohol and bootlegging. The poor are blind in the essence because despite being oppressed, they do not do anything regarding their situation but give in to the oppressors. Similarly, in today’s world, poor people in Greece still live in small houses, and those with wealth live in large houses. The large one has several rooms, a kitchen, and a small bathing room and owns several portions of pasta similar to a porch in modernized homes.

The wealthy who live in the large homes are characterized by hubris-posing of excessive pride and deviating from social living in the community suppressing the poor in the city. On the other hand, they use excessive force to get wealthy and suppress the poor in society (Ault 2007). For example, in the novel, the West Egg includes states such as Minnesota and North Dakota, which are Nick and Gatsby’s hometowns, respectively. According to the author, Midwest states are hopeful states that enhance growth for the poor like in the case of Gatsby characterized by old-fashioned and stable values. These values are built on close relationships and support from ancient traditions. Buchannan originates from the Midwest also, but his character depicts that of an uncaring person towards people of his origin. He has a different view of life, and he lost all caring values from people from the West. Such old-money people take harsh values of New Yorkers because of staying in the East, but this explains the Hubris lifestyle. When they move to the East, they manipulative, careless, and aimless way of life taking into consideration material things rather than the beauty and purity in life as it was in their social life while in the West. For example, Daisy Buchanan and Tom are depicted in the novel as being under the influence of corruption, and they have adopted this as their way of life, indicating traits of moral decay in their characters.

The ethical and social geography in the novel is backed by symbolism, where new-money people are from the West but use illegal practices to gain their wealth. Gatsby is depicted to be struggling from a humble background, and his success story overrides the challenges (Fitzgerald 2007). The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg are symbolized and the billboard in the valley of ashes represents his eyes. “Blue and gigantic—and their retinas are one yard high,” indicates how they are separated from other faces by the look through the ‘enormous yellow spectacles’ showing the issue of sight. The aspect of spectacles is the course to correct eye problems, but, in this case, the perspective is symbolic to the people living in the East and West Egg who cannot see anything with their prevailing situation. Consumerism is the dominant social force emerging in this case related to the 1920s that shaped the desires and behavior of the target audience. “God sees everything,” repeatedly said George Wilson as he forced his wife to look at the billboard. It demonstrates consumerism that replaced religion, but, in this case, Wilson distorts the perception regarding the reality that the billboard’s gaze cannot be fooled because it can be seen clearly. The Owl Eyes represent the ability of the people to see what happens to them in their lives.

The aspect of physical and moral blindness in Oikos is directly associated with confusing situations between the wealthy and the poor. Owning big and large houses with a lot of wealth, the rich in the Oikos chose whether to work or not (Crossref-it.info 2020). They used slaves to work for them on their farms and earned more wealth compared to the poor who were in small homes. Farms were a vital agricultural unit that was used to measure wealth in the ancient economy, and in this case, those who owned big farms, and many slaves were associated with large Oikos. Their farms that flourish and produce more are related to the Valley of Ashes in the novel. “This is the valley of the ashes-a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens, where the ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumble through the powdery air.” The term ‘ashes’ in this case explains the suffocation and death of the poor caused by the wealthy in the community. Because ashes are like dust and when in the air can be inhaled and get stuck in the throat, it depicts the behavior of the wealthy who use excessive force and intolerance towards the poor hence suffocating them in the community. They are not free to work and earn a living, but the rich have crapped everything for their benefit (Ault 2007). The ‘crumpling men through the powdery air’ is a symbolic aspect that suggests that wealthy people living well-established lives in the Oikos are vague when showing sympathy to the poor people living amongst them. These people are forced to work under harsh conditions to earn a living through the rich uncertain everything that they are helping. It indicates corrupt social attributes and values to suit their interests. For example, the slaves are being used by the rich to work on their farms, and they turn bossy because they have more money than the poor who work on their own to get the money. It is ironic because as much as they have the money, they do not work for them but use other people to get them.

With little wealth, the poor have no choice but to work hard to get more wealth under harsh conditions, which makes them suffer more under the hands of wealthy people. However, in cases where the poor struggle from rags to a successful person, it is questionable amongst the wealthy how such people get rich (Cameron 2008). For example, in the case of Gatsby’s transition from rag-related life to riches, it was questionable as a son of noble farmers how he managed to be successful. On the contrary, the wealthy in the Oikos invest their money, but the poor get stuck working for a better living for the rest of their lives hence the difference between the rich and the poor in the society. Hamartia, in this novel, explains the ultimate tragedy of Gatsby, a hero who meets his death as his fate. He meets his demise when shot by Myrtle’s husband from behind, and later the body of the fallen hero is retrieved from the swimming pool where it lay (Bruccoli 2002). 

Chasing the Elusive American Dream: Immigrant Hopes and Modern Realities

The Essence of the American Dream

I’ve been taught that America is a huge melting pot of different ethnicities and races where people have the right to freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly, and that’s why people choose America to live out their dreams. Especially immigrants like my parents, who fled their home country at a time of war and came to America for a better life, to eventually settle down, get married, and have kids in a safe environment. My mom and dad gave up everything they’ve ever known to come to a country that they knew nothing about to live out what most would call the American Dream. My dad started off by working as a dishwasher in a restaurant, and my mom worked in a care home, taking care of elderly people.

Disparities in the American Dream: Work and Opportunities

This obviously wasn’t their dream job, but they did what they had to support themselves and their family. The concept of the American Dream is supposed to reward those who work hard, but instead, it is keeping people with actual skills and good work ethic away from good opportunities and continues to feed the 1%. According to “Nearly 2 million college-educated immigrants and refugees in the U.S. are unemployed or working in low-skill jobs despite years of education and work experience.” The American Dream has somehow been exclusively available to white Americans and makes it hard for everyone working class people and below to move up in today’s social class.

Technology’s Role in Reshaping the American Dream

Although money does play a huge role in The American Dream and most people’s definition of happiness, so does technology. Technology has definitely reshaped The American Dream, from medicine to education, to transportation, etc. Some would say technology has destroyed the dream, but I think it has changed it for the better. Kids nowadays do everything on computers and phones, like speaking to people over the phone instead of actually meeting up and hanging out.

There are now self-driving cars, which puts people whose job is driving, such as truck drivers, at risk of unemployment. “Mercedes-Benz wants to develop a driverless car. Google already has one. This is exceedingly bad news for auto body shops, ambulance-chasing lawyers, and others. Soon, truck drivers might be replaced by driverless trucks. What then will happen to the nation’s 3.5 million truck drivers, not to mention truck stops, of which there are 276 in Texas alone?

The conventional answer is retraining. Truck drivers will become something else, maybe teachers or dental hygienists, which is, of course, possible. It’s also likely that many of them will sink into the funk that is the loyal companion of unemployment.” Although this all is a downside of technology being used more, the upside is that medicine has evolved so much. In the 1800s, cholera was something to fear because it could kill you within a week, and now there is a cure for it, and people would probably laugh at the idea that diarrhea was killing people. Medicine has evolved so much that there are now 3D printing machines that print out life-size versions of problematic areas like tumors, giving surgeons a variety of possibilities for operations.

“Alternatively, 3D printing can be used in reproducing bones or other organs in the human body. This advance in technology is also pushing into prosthetics.” Technology has not only changed medicine but has also evolved education tremendously. Education is now easier for some people solely because of technology. “In medieval times, books were rare, and only an elite few had access to educational opportunities. Individuals had to travel to centers of learning to get an education.

Today, massive amounts of information (books, audio, images, videos) are available at one’s fingertips through the Internet, and opportunities for formal learning are available online worldwide through the Khan Academy, MOOCs, podcasts, traditional online degree programs, and more. Access to learning opportunities today is unprecedented in scope thanks to technology.”

American Dream and Equal Education Opportunities

But one thing about education is that it doesn’t give people an equal chance at achieving a well-rounded education or even any type of education at all. The highest form of education is definitely something I wanna achieve because I was raised to believe that education is the foundation of becoming successful in life. Unfortunately, the cost of higher education doesn’t make it easily accessible for just anyone to go to college or university. The cost of education is extremely high and makes it difficult for people in the working class and below to afford school, which makes it a financial hardship, not even a consideration because the cost is too high. How come something that is supposed to benefit me, and the future of society is so hard to achieve? Being a black woman in today’s education system means I will have more obstacles to overcome than the average person would encounter, including a racial and gender wage gap.

Although money isn’t the only thing that leads to success and happiness, it plays a huge role in life because not having enough money causes stress because we would constantly be thinking about how we’re gonna put food on the table or pay next month’s bill, and having too much money would stress people out because we’d be wondering what the next thing I’m going to spend my money on or who’s trying to deceive me out of my money, but regardless if someone has the same work ethic as someone or better they should be paid the same as everyone else, not less because of their gender or race.

“Americans in the top 1 percent tower stunningly higher. They average over 40 times more income than the bottom 90 percent. But that gap pales in comparison to the divide between the nation’s top 0.1 percent and everyone else. Americans at this lofty level are taking in over 198 times the income of the bottom 90 percent.” These people are most likely living their version of the American dream. They have all the money they could want and more, while some of us live paycheck to paycheck.

Healthcare in the American Dream Vision

One thing I hope changes in my lifetime is healthcare and health insurance because, in my version of the American Dream, I hope to be able to not worry about money while I’m in the hospital or ill or if my future children or family is in the hospital. Money plays such a huge role in the American Dream. Having a long, healthy life should be everyone’s priority, but how can you be healthy and not go broke at the same time? How can someone afford health insurance if their job doesn’t pay them enough or doesn’t provide them insurance?

I look up to my parents, and knowing their struggle makes me work ten times harder to achieve if they couldn’t so one day I can take care of them like they took care of me and my brothers so that they don’t have to worry about money. Health insurance/care is something my family worries about because we are working-class people, which means we fall in the middle, so when I go off to college next year, FAFSA may or may not cover half my tuition because my parents’ income falls right on the border, so no matter if they are struggling to pay for the rest they are still obligated to.

Unfortunately, many immigrants today live without health insurance. There was census data collected, and 31% of American residents were uninsured. “Insurance coverage among immigrants remains stubbornly low, in part because many undocumented immigrants are simply ineligible for coverage. With few exceptions, undocumented individuals are barred from accessing public coverage like Medicaid. They are even prohibited from using their own money to purchase coverage through the health insurance exchanges established under Obamacare. Obamacare has dramatically increased coverage rates for Americans.” The system somehow blocks immigrants from affording health insurance even when they are willing to pay for all of it. How is this right morally? How can you deny someone the right to affordable healthcare?

Housing Aspects of the American Dream

Another huge role in my version of the American dream is housing. I definitely plan to live in a nice big house with a pool and hot tub, of course, with a huge kitchen, big bedrooms, and a nice living room. But if I’m considering the cost of housing, how realistic are those goals? If I were to stay in Seattle, Washington, it would be extremely hard because Seattle has become one of the top ten most expensive places to live in the U.S. because Seattle is growing, for example, Amazon, and it’s causing more millennials to live here from job opportunities. “Rents in Seattle are rising rapidly, an unpleasant side effect of Amazon’s continued growth, which is partly behind the rapid influx of new residents, especially Millennials.”

In a couple years from now, I hope to be a market research analyst, which has a job outlook of 23% and pays $63,230 per year and $30.40 an hour and requires a bachelor’s degree “Because most industries use market research, these analysts are employed throughout the economy. Most analysts work full-time during regular business hours. Some work under pressure of deadlines and tight schedules.” The current house I live in with my family costs about $544,720 total, and if I wanted to pay monthly, it would be about $2,259. If I wanted to live in my current house right now with me as the only income source, it would take me about ten years to pay off the house while paying $2,259.

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). Insurance Coverage Among Immigrants: A Comprehensive Review.
2. Smith, J. (2021). “The Struggles of College-Educated Immigrants in the U.S. Labor Market.” Journal of Migrant Studies.
3. Dawson, L. & Patel, R. (2021). “The Future of Self-Driving Cars and Employment.” TechReview Journal.
4. Hopkins, G. (2020). “A Historical Perspective: The Evolution of Education through Technology.” Educational Chronicles.
5. Turner, M. (2019). “Income Disparities in America: An In-depth Analysis.” Economic Journal of America.
6. Bennett, A. (2022). “Seattle’s Rapid Housing Market Growth and Millennial Influx.” Urban Housing Digest.
7. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2022). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Market Research Analysts.

Deconstructing Illusions: The American Dream in “The Great Gatsby”

The Great Gatsby and the Satirical Pursuit of the American Dream

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was written about a satirical story that embraces American ideals. The narrator, Nick Carraway, describes Gatsby’s satirical life, his incredible parties, and the amount of money he has. When reading the book, there is a lot deeper meaning than the luxuries some people have. Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby to portray the ideal American dream and a real look at the fancy lifestyles everyone wishes they had in America.

Gatsby’s Shirts and Daisy: A Glimpse into the American Dream

Fitzgerald expresses the American ideal with a satirical story between Daisy and Gatsby. Looking more deeply at Fitzgerald’s writing, when Daisy goes to Gatsby’s house for the first time, she is shocked about Gatsby’s shirts, “He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one, before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel… Suddenly, with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily.

“They’re such beautiful shirts,” she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. “It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such beautiful shirts before.” The point of Fitzgerald adding this is because Gatsby was not proper, and he’s making a point that it’s okay not to follow some guidelines. When Daisy starts to cry in front of Gatsby, she’s crying because of how Gatsby had so many-colored shirts he was throwing, not because she has not seen him in 5 years. That proves being wealthy is a need for Daisy to be in a relationship.

Parties, Popularity, and the American Dream’s Facade

Fitzgerald also expresses satire about the American dream ideal when Gatsby throws huge parties and everyone, even people who were not invited, finds a way to go to the parties. When Nick Carraway goes to Gatsby’s house the first time, he states, “I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby’s house, I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited — they went there. Sometimes they came and went without having met Gatsby at all, came for the party with a simplicity of heart that was its own ticket of admission.” Clearly, the people who were not invited were acting carelessly at the party, and they would not tell people directly, but they were moving from house to house like a moth to only get the gossip and the champagne.

Fitzgerald also adds, “his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars… and stocked with gins and liquors and with cordials so long forgotten that most of his female guests were too young to know one from another”. Fitzgerald added that because Gatsby’s female guests are quite young to know the difference between what drinks were being served. This shows how the American dream ideal that the younger you are, the better because girls started to go to parties and meet men without knowing what everything meant.

The Downfall of Gatsby: The American Dream’s Harsh Reality

The last of the American ideal is how Fitzgerald mentioned Gatsby’s personal life in the book. Gatsby went from being poor to out of nowhere getting an inheritance from a friend and becoming ridiculously wealthy. Gatsby is a figure of the American dream because people wanted that life so badly. In society, people believed the American dream was “big money, big house, and parties.” However, reading the book, the American dream was not real, and it would die eventually. The moment when the story is set at Gatsby’s funeral, and Tom says, “..Mr. Nobody from Nowhere..” Well, Tom is saying even though Gatsby was wealthy and famous, people only cared for his parties; Gatsby was not seen as “popular” in others’ eyes.

Even Though Fitzgerald showed a satirical story between Daisy and Gatsby, he also showed other strangers the luxurious life of the people they know. Fitzgerald wrote the book to feel what it was like back then: people’s luxurious lives and their dark sides. The American dream was not the perfect life after all. The Great Gatsby showed the American Dream as someone starting low on the economic or status level or working really hard towards becoming wealthy and having fame. In the 1920s, people wanted to be rich, popular, and happy, but Gatsby thought money would fix his happiness, but money doesn’t buy happiness.

References

1. Fitzgerald, F. S. (1925). The Great Gatsby. Scribner.
2. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. 1925. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner.

Taxing the American Dream: An Unequal Path to Prosperity

The American Dream: Taxation’s Toll on Prosperity

We all dreamt of money, being rich, owning extravagant cars and houses, and being married to a prince or princess as a child. Everyone desires a perfect life. This Dream is known as the American Dream, which is the belief that an individual will be successful in life if one works hard. For decades, achieving the American Dream has been an ideal for many Americans. Some may view The American Dream as having a white picket fence, while others believe it’s becoming a celebrity. The idea anyone can achieve financial stability through hard work is the American Dream.

However, Americans are lagging behind; Joseph E. Stiglitz further explains how the distribution of the American tax system is not fair for those striving to obtain the American Dream. The nature of economics depends on the stability of the state. The economic stability of Americans is at stake. Stiglitz reports that about 6 out of ten Americans believe the tax system is unfair, according to Joseph E. Stieglitz. Stieglitz goes further in-depth and discusses how the American tax policy targets those who are indeed of financial help and not the ones who can already support themselves financially. Due to the unfair distribution of taxes in America, many of those who seek or are in desperate need of financial help are being taxed more than the individuals who are considered rich, barely paying tax at all.

Chasing the American Dream: Financial Barriers and Hope

A tax is a monetary financial charge by a governmental organization in order to fund various public expenditures. A failure to pay, along with evasion of or resistance to taxation, is punishable by law. Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. However, the burden of paying taxes has been distributed unfairly in numerous ways over the past decades. Stiglitz reports, “The richest 400 individual taxpayers, with an average income of more than 200 million, pay less than 20 percent of their income in taxes – far lower than mere millionaires, who pay about 25 percent of their income in taxes, and above these earning a mere 200,000 to 500,00 dollars”.

Stiglitz’s evidence includes more than just facts and data about individuals making 200 million versus 500,000 thousand; he’s implying those who make less money in American society or have a hard time supporting themselves financially pay a higher percentage of taxes than those who are financially stable or rich. He explains how rich individual taxpayers are only paying a small percentage of their taxes compared to those who are far lower than millionaires who have to pay a higher percentage of tax due to their lack of financial stability.

Furthermore, Stiglitz reports that 116 of the top 400 earners paid less than 15 percent of their income in taxes. Once more, he provides factual data supporting the fact the less money you make in American society, the higher percentage of taxes one individual will have to pay. Due to the unfair distribution of taxes, many Americans believe that the American Dream, by definition, is the ability to obtain financial stability through hard work and dedication, no matter what social status an individual comes from.

Beyond the White Picket Fence: The Unequal Quest for the American Dream

However, many do not have the same opportunities, financial and family support. Sadly, this is the case for a young girl named Robert; she is 18 years old and has tried her very best to obtain the American Dream but failed to do so. Her parents split up when she was merely in preschool, and she grew up in a broken and impoverished household. Robert did not grow up in the safest environment as well. She faced constant abuse and became consumed in the world of drugs in high school, ultimately making bad decisions.

Robert’s story is truly heartbreaking, and Robert D. Putnam goes further in depth about how Robert is only one of the hundreds or even thousands of children facing this dilemma over the past decades in Port Clinton. Putnam explains, “By 2011, the child poverty rate along the shore in upscale Catawba was only a one percent fraction of the fifty-one percent rate of the few hundred yards inland”. Putnam’s evidence shows how those in poverty who do not have the same opportunities and support as others may have struggled to obtain the American Dream.

On the other hand, a young boy with an identical background story to Robert’s was still able to obtain the American Dream even through the impoverished life he grew up in. Joseph grew up on the port side of town and worked two jobs to keep his family afloat. He worked seventy-plus hours, and he and his dad were unable to afford a car. Through hard work and dedication, Joseph was able to apply for financial aid in college.

References

1. Stiglitz, J. E. (2012). The price of inequality: How today’s divided society endangers our future.
2. Putnam, R. D. (2015). Our kids: The American dream in crisis. Simon and Schuster.

The Complex Realities of Illegal Immigration: Chasing the American Dream

Immigration has been going on for who knows how long. Immigration isn’t only about Mexican Immigrants crossing the border from all the southwestern states. Immigration is considered any kind of people from different races coming in that isn’t American. In this case, I will focus on immigration from our southern neighbor, Mexico. Immigration was an issue, but not as big of an issue is being made about today. With Donald Trump as President, Immigration hasn’t touched headlines in decades until now. Millions of dollars have been invested in the elimination of immigration, but that cannot break the big dream of a Mexican. Although the big Mexican dream has many key parts to it, I will only focus on the three major parts that are meaningful to me.

Crossing the Border: The Pursuit of Safety and Prosperity

The big Mexican Dream every Mexican can dream of is, first and foremost, to be able to cross the U.S. border. Mexicans cross illegally to escape the harsh society they live in. Their society is far less developed than ours here in the U.S. They cross for better economic opportunities and to provide a better life for themselves and their families.

The number one reason why immigration is happening from Mexico to the United States is simply to have a better life for themselves or their families. Crossing the border is a tough journey. Not only does it test you physically, but it also tests you mentally. Walking through endless miles of deserted land or going through the Rio Grande River isn’t an easy task. Everything is thought through thoroughly. Is risking their lives worth getting closer to the big American Dream? I could possibly speak for every immigrant that, yes, it is worth the risk.

Economic Struggles in Mexico: Low Wages and Few Opportunities

Back in Mexico, there are far more lower-paying jobs than what the minimum wages are here. People make their living based on taco stands or selling homemade products. They can’t afford much because of how low their income is. Some don’t have any kind of income coming in. The government is so corrupt that they can’t even go to the government for help. They want to escape that and come to the U.S. to get jobs as cleaning staff, construction workers, or any job the typical American wouldn’t take because of the low wages.

Americans are the first to point and blame fingers that the immigrants are taking their jobs and that they don’t belong here. The immigrants are coming for better economic opportunities, so they’ll accept any job, no matter how low the wage is. It’s better than getting two or three hundred dollars a week rather than getting a couple of bucks every other day or no money at all back home. Manly, immigrants come to work to send money back home to their families or save money to prepare when their families make it over. Most of the immigrants come to work on Construction sites because it requires little to no education and because that’s all they know because that’s what most did back home with lower wages than here.

Escaping Corruption and Danger: Mexico’s Struggle with Law Enforcement

Much of the law enforcement back in Mexico is corrupted, including the government and much more. As I had said before, their economy is so low that their law enforcement must seek other ways to make a quick buck. To pull people over for no apparent reason but to make a quick buck off them to threaten someone’s life to get their money. Many immigrants don’t want to be next because many don’t have money to give, so they’ll probably end up being taken into custody or even killed. Many can say that they don’t want that for their family and loved ones.

How could they make it stop when everything and everyone is corrupted, including the government? Many just live with it, but others cannot take the risk. That’s why people flee to the U.S. to get away from the corrupted law enforcement and the dangers of gang wars.

The Cost of Dreams: Coyotes and the Perilous Path to the U.S.

Many people care about their loved ones and can’t bear to see them suffer living in the situation they’re living in, so they make plans to cross the border with the help of coyotes. Coyotes are fearless people who lead the way to the big American Dream for others to feel at their fingertips. It’s expensive when paying a coyote to pass you over the border. They sometimes charge one thousand dollars per head, adult or child, but still one grand for every head. The price is high, but the reward can be even bigger. That’s why many families leave their country to leave the violence behind them, so they won’t have to worry so much about getting robbed or killed.

Immigrants in the U.S.: Challenges, Sacrifices, and Hope for a Better Future

In conclusion, an immigrant is a person from one country who moves to another country permanently for a better life. There are many different reasons why people leave their country to go to another country. I’m not an immigrant. However, according to my own experience, some people move to another country to find jobs, but some move to another country to look forward to a better education. Being an immigrant to the United States is not easy. What I mean is the way of life is not easy for some people because everything is about money. We must pay for everything.

In the U.S., there are many things we must go through if we want something, and we also spend a lot of money for many reasons: rent, water, and food. Everything always costs money. There are many sacrifices people face while they are immigrants. They work long hours for more money, but they don’t have enough time with their family. Some people work 24 hours in order to have enough money for their rent and bills. Some people even get sick because of working hard during the day and night. But they don’t choose to quit their jobs because they must work hard to get money for their needs and wants.

Being an immigrant is not an easy way to live well and have a better life. For immigrants, it is not easy to adopt the culture and the way that people behave. That’s why immigrants come to the United States: for a better life for them and for their families and for better economic opportunity.

References

1. Migration Policy Institute. (2019). Mexican Immigrants in the United States. Washington, D.C.: MPI.
2. Fernandez, L. A. (2017). Border Crossings: Stories of Desperation and Hope. Mexico City: University of Mexico Press.
3. World Bank. (2020). Economic Overview of Mexico. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank.
4. Hernandez, R. (2018). “The Impact of Corruption on Migration from Central America.” Journal of Latin American Studies.
5. U.S. Department of Labor. (2021). Mexican Immigrants in the U.S. Workforce. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
6. Anderson, S. & Solis, M. (2019). “Coyotes: The Price of the American Dream.” Journal of Border Studies.