Category: Opportunity

The Elusive American Dream

America’s greatest allure is its promise of equal opportunity and fair treatment. This promise dubbed ‘The American Dream’ has encouraged many people to escape suffering from their country in the hope of obtaining a better life in America. Sadly this promise remains a dream for most Americans, one they can never hope to realize. The roots of the American dream can get traced to the Declaration of Independence in 1787 which conceived democracy in America. At the time of this declaration, atrocities such as slavery still got permitted to continue. While the country has made significant progress since this time, it has never fully captured the spirit of democracy. Some communities are inherently advantaged to succeed than others due to wealth accumulated by means such as slavery. Additionally, minority groups and immigrants get continually repressed by stereotypes and unfair policies, and patriarchal structures diminish the success of women. Therefore, the American Dream is unachievable for many Americans and has lost meaning.

The concept of equal opportunity in America does not exist in practice. In his speech, ‘A More Perfect Union,’ President Barack Hussein Obama highlights how unequal opportunities are for African Americans and most whites. African Americans had to attend subpar schools during periods of segregation, and some of their learning institutions are still unsatisfactory. As a result, a chasm exists between the achievements of African Americans and Whites and continues to widen. Additionally, policies that prevented African Americans from acquiring wealth or even loans to create wealth means that they have little to give to their children. Therefore, they start from a disadvantaged position, and few can make up for the difference. On the other hand, families that have built a legacy of success can prop up each coming generation to ensure the progress continues. At the same time, those from deprived backgrounds receive inferior resources but still get expected to compete with their well-off fellows. When they fail under such unfair circumstances, they face further discrimination through stereotypes that suggest they are lazy and unintelligent.

Even when people work very hard to succeed from disadvantaged positions, discrimination through stereotypes, and unfair policies get in their way. President Obama notes that the discriminatory policies against African Americans have resulted in a cycle of violence and crime. People get frustrated by their predicament and resort to crime since they have no way to succeed otherwise. Crime easily propagates and reinforces in these neighborhoods because of persistent inequality. Moreover, these occurrences lead to stereotypes that imply African Americans are prone to crime and do not want to work. As a result, they get fewer employment opportunities and get mistreated by law enforcement. Further, nowadays, this situation is not unique to African Americans and other minority groups. Obama notes that many middle-class whites face similar challenges because they were not born wealthy. This scenario creates resentment from both sides, causing a racial divide, which worsens the situation because it reinforces discrimination.

The American Dream is most elusive for women, particularly those from racial minorities. They not only face prejudice based on their color and wealth but also based on their gender. In ‘Ain’t I A Woman?’ Sojourner Truth laments the predicament of African American Women. She notes that women work just as hard as men and bear the same hardships, sometimes even more, but do not enjoy equal rights as men. Since the time of Sojourner, women’s rights have gotten recognized and incorporated into the law. However, in practice, women still face many challenges, such as unequal pay or prejudice in the workplace. Moreover, patriarchal structures ensure that women have less freedom than men, even in matters concerning them, such as pregnancy. Sojourner suggests that the strength of women should not get underestimated and that they can turn the world upside down. Recently, women have become more active and are pushing harder for equality. While there is some progress, they still have to work harder than men to get similar results. Also, for women in racial minorities, the burden is more significant because they have to overcome barriers against both their community and their gender to succeed.

Summarily, the American dream is no longer achievable for most people in the country. Equal opportunities and fairness are illusions propagated by the advantaged to keep the disadvantaged calm and hopeful. Individuals whose families accumulated wealth through oppression have a head start because they can afford better education and have more resources. Historically disadvantaged communities find it harder to achieve success because they have inferior resources and fewer opportunities. Moreover, stereotypes and discrimination worsen the situation of marginalized groups by negating their hard work. Women have the worst experiences because they receive prejudice on multiple fronts. Therefore, for most Americans, the American dream will forever remain just that, a dream.

Millions of people from all around the world see the United States as a land of opportunity. They come here, whether legally or illegally, in order to find better jobs, get a better education, and improve their standards of living. Most importantly, however, they come for the freedoms and human rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution. Many of them are escaping war zones, high crime rates, extreme poverty, and political and economic instability in their home countries, and come to the United States with dreams of better lives for themselves and their children. They understand that to reach these goals they will have to work hard, often starting with low-wage jobs, and make many sacrifices. The American Dream is the idea that with enough hard work, anyone can become successful, achieve material wealth, and advance their socioeconomic status. From the nineteenth-century coal and railroad barons to modern tech billionaires, Americans have been captivated for generations by “rags-to-riches” stories. The idea that humble beginnings are not an obstacle to economic success is built into the foundation of this nation. In truth, however, in the late twentieth century, American society underwent political and economic changes that have made this concept largely unattainable. Stagnating wages for the middle class, the decline of worker’s unions, tax laws that favor the rich, rapid technological progress, and trade globalization are just a few of the causes that have reduced people’s chances of attaining the American Dream. Although the average American worker’s salary is at a record high, the income gap between the top one percent of earners and the other ninety-nine percent is the widest it has ever been.

Social mobility in the United States is on the decline due to growing inequality in the distribution of wealth. Sam Pizzigati, a veteran labor journalist, writes that “in 1980, this bottom 40 percent of Americans took home twice as much income as the richest 1 percent of Americans. By the end of the Reagan era, the wealthiest 1 percent earned the same amount of income as the bottom 40.” The Reagan administration tried to stimulate the economy by creating a so-called trickledown effect by limiting government regulation and reducing taxes on businesses and capital gains. The idea behind it was that the more money remained in rich people’s pockets, the more they would spend or invest in new enterprises, which would then help the poor and the middle class in the long run by creating new jobs. The reality, however, is different. According to the 2012 study commissioned by the Tax Justice Network, “The Price of Offshore Revisited,” the rich typically hide the bulk of their earnings in offshore tax havens instead of reinvesting them in the economy. The estimated amount of money that is sheltered from taxation falls within the range of $21 trillion to $32 trillion, which is “more than the gross domestic product of the American and Japanese economies combined” (1). This is proof that trickledown economics is ineffective. Although the origin of the enormous wealth obtained by some people may in fact be attributed to hard work and ingenuity, the ability to shelter wealth from taxation and then pass it on to the next generation without a reasonable tax burden is a large part of what contributes to insurmountable income inequality, creating a “haves and have-nots” society.

Imagine living 15 years of your 17-year-old life in one city. Imagine every memorable moment in your life pinned onto one location, growing in one house and finding comfort in its familiarity. Now imagine given a sudden opportunity to move to the United States and live the American dream. This was the opportunity that I was presented with when my father received a job offer to come to work here.

For as long as I can remember, my parents have given me the best access to educational resources and other materials. So, they were delighted when they found out about my father’s new job offer in the United States, since it implied, that I now had the opportunity to live the American dream – to have a better education while nurturing my hobbies in music as well. My parents did not want to force the move on me and left the final decision in my hands. In my heart, I knew I could not ignore and let go of this opportunity, but it was hard for me to move. I had a lot of friends in India whose friendships are incomparable. I had strong relationships with a lot of people, and I was leaving all this behind if I made this decision. This was really hard, and every time I thought about the ‘move’, numerous memories associated with my life in India would flash in my head telling me not to move. However, my conscience kept telling me that the opportunities were too good to miss out on, and hence I decided to move to the US.

Filled with joy and excitement, I spent a good few moments with my family talking about our new future in America. And for a while, all I could think about was the exposure (academically and professionally) I would get in the US. But as I started packing up my things, it hit me – I was about to leave the only place I’ve ever called ‘home’ and move to a country where everything was extremely different. With every item that we packed, sold or simply threw away, a little movie, of all the memories associated with that item would play in my head. I started thinking about making new friends, adapting to a new culture, and adjusting to a new school with an entirely different syllabus and approach to things, that too in the middle of the school year. I had a lot of questions, but only one answer – this is the opportunity of a lifetime.

With almost all of my teen life behind me, I was accustomed to a certain way of life in India. I would follow a daily schedule, and wouldn’t compromise on it, unless, necessary. Even if, due to some reason, I wanted to spend more time on something, I wouldn’t, because I hated breaking my schedule. Although in the short run this didn’t benefit me, it helped me be a more systematic and disciplined person over time.

I did face challenges for a few weeks after I moved and joined a new high school. Firstly, forming new relationships in school was hard, in part because I joined mid-year, but mostly because we are at the age where everyone already has well developed strong friendships. Secondly, besides being the ‘new boy’, I had to rewire my whole thought process and method of approach to suit the needs of my new syllabus. Despite the challenges, I stayed strong and started talking to people in my class to know more about the school, culture, and the education system. My passion for science and math helped me interact with people and get into conversations. Slowly, but surely, I made new friends and adapted to my new environment.

As days passed, I made a lot of friends in high school and found myself missing home a little less. I started feeling more excited about my future and my chance to live the American dream. I think that stories make people and this is mine. So, you can be assured that if a life-changing opportunity comes knocking at my door, I will surely grab it with both hands and be there, all in a matter of fifteen days.