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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.
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