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Is The American Dream Still Possible

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Is the American Dream still possible? The American Dream is “the ability through hard work and educational attainment to experience upward social mobility relative to one’s parents (McNeil).” In my eyes, I don’t think the American Dream is possible because of the social barriers in education, social staus, and discrimination.
“Back in 1915, two years after income tax came on the scene, you were doing about average if you were making $687 a year, according to the Census…. Today, that $687 would be comparable to earning $16,063 a year, according to an inflation calculator on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website (Williams p.1).”
One hundred years ago, the American Dream may have been possible because living was relatively affordable no matter your occupation. It all depends on the economic class you fall under along with your race/ethnicity, where you’ve graduated from, and the money you have to accomplish what you want to do. …show more content…

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There is always going to be rich and poor, but if everyone was treated equally on a social level that would allow individuals to obtain the same opportunities regarding education and work. Upward social mobility relative to one’s parent becomes controversial today because of the large gaps in our class system. Not everyone’s parents have a well-paying job, so it may be slightly easier for those kids who can afford an education, which will guarantee them a job and ultimately boost their upward mobility in the

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“The original term ‘American Dream’ was coined during the Great Depression by James Truslow Adams, who wrote that the American dream ‘is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement, regardless of social class or circumstances of birth’ ” (573). He then addresses the views of liberal economists and activists, who think the American dream is dead, using facts from a survey done in 2009 by the New York Times. Essentially, the “survey found that 72 percent of Americans still believed it was possible to start poor, work hard, and become rich in America” (573).

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The American Dream has a different meaning from what it once was, but according to Brandon King it is still alive. His beginning question, “What is the true state of the so-called ‘American Dream’ today” (Page #610, Para. #1) appeals to his audience’s own thoughts of his or her own personal beliefs for their futures. Most people have an idea of what they want in life, and their dream may not be the rags to riches dream of yesteryear, but is uniquely theirs.

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The American dream is not as easy as people say it is. The American Dream is being able to afford the necessities you need, without having to struggle and suffer just to put food on a table for their families. People think it’s easy to live the American Dream, but little do they know that there are people out there struggling to support their family. The American Dream is difficult to achieve but very possible if people could find the opportunity and available to them.

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Many americans are not able to become rich or even middle class in this day and age. Many Americans aren't given the opportunity to make money and save to the point of becoming rich or middle class. The American Dream is not achievable due to the racist, classist, and sexist views, perspectives and actions of Americans in society today. The American Dream is not achievable due to racism and segregation that play a heavy influence in living the American dream.

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791 Words | 4 Pages

A writer named Barbara Ehrenreich states it is impossible to go from being poor and living paycheck to paycheck to being successful and having a good well paying job. There is another author who thinks the American Dream is alive and can be achieved and his name was Adam Shepard. He believes it is possible to go from nothing to having a job and a home that is fully furnished with a well paying job. The American Dream is when a person has a successful job that pays well with a good home that is well furnished and in a good neighborhood. They say that American Dream is achievable for those who work hard and have a positive mindset.

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Is It Worth Pursuing? The American Dream is something similar to all people, but it is something everyone views different. Many have come and continue to come to America to chase that opportunity to get that American Dream. That, dream is anything you wish for in life.

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The American dream at one point was what drew people to American; the right to life, liberty, and the happiness. The American dream is the hope to acquire currency, large homes, raise a middle-class family, and pursue what brings people joy in life. But in the year 2016, the American dream becomes hard to believe in. The American dream may still exist, but it is not equally accessible to all Americans. This is true because the American dream is not affordable for everyone, it is not available to everyone from different degrees of education, and race and ethnicity creates large social barriers.

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1123 Words | 5 Pages

To most achieving the American Dream is obtaining success and economic stability. To some obtaining the American Dream is making more money than their parents. According to David Leonhardts’ article “The American Dream, Quantified at Last”, New York Times (8 Dec. 2016) provides statistics that show 50 to 60 years ago an individual was able to drastically exceed the amount of money their parents earned. Thanks to rapid, widely shared

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The American dream is a term used in a lot of ways. Although research has shown that American dream can’t be attainable by most people, closer examination shows that it can be attainable by the following reasons. As Daniel J. Mitchell stated in New York Times im January 1st, 2015 “The United States is not a perfect country, but the American Dream is still a reality.” By that he meant that even with America’s Grow rate, poverty, unemployment rate in the past years and still going Americans can still chase their American dreams If we look at the history and the definition it shows that infact it is possible to attain it.

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Is the American Dream worth pursuing? I believe the American Dream is worth pursuing because if a person cannot dream of making their life better for themselves and their family, then a person will never better themselves or want to better themselves. Dreams are made to become true. A person can better themselves by getting a good education, a better job, and a better life for their family. Pursuing dreams will make a person better.

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The American Dream is Attainable Dreaming of success, a bright future, or even hope? An idea placed in the Declaration of Independence, The American Dream has been a beacon of hope to many; however, does The American Dream really exist? Some can and will argue that it’s dead, and that it isn’t achievable. I believe it’s alive, but it has to be realistic. By being realistic, anything could be possible, but only with the amount of effort put forth.

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The American Dream is so essential to our country as it is an honor to reach your goals and make it a reality. The American Dream is the national ethos that people’s lives would be better and more abundant with many opportunities. The American Dream was more accessible to attain back in the days, however, changed over the years. Although the “American Dream” is still possible, many people, minorities are affected by the lack of improvement in social mobility in our society. The American Dream is still alive by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and by obtaining it through perseverance and hard-work.

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However, this is just an individual perspective for the United States does give you the option of having the American dream. Which is no matter who you are, you are able to be successful. However, in many other countries it would seem impossible especially in some communist countries such as Cuba. Cuba’s gross national income per capita being $5,539 and that 40 percent of Cuban labor is considered to be middle class even though they get paid about $20. “The aggregated gross national income per capita of Cuba is officially $5,539, but the take home of salary for most Cubans is around $20 a month.”

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1630 Words | 7 Pages

The American Dream is still alive and available to everyone today, although it is different for everyone. The American Dream is what each individual believes it to be and does not have a set definition, it is whatever the person believes it to be and it still possible for everyone. America still provides access to opportunity for everyone from the people who are born in poverty to the people that are born into wealth. While lately there has been much debate over whether the American Dream is still alive and well and many people believe that it is dead, there are considerable proof and evidence that the American Dream is developing and thriving. First of all, in the American Constitution, it states “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

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886 Words | 4 Pages

What is portrayed by the media and what they believe to be the American dream I do not believe that that is attainable and or realistic at any point. If you work hard to achieve your goals and what you put your mind to you will achieve the success that you want and your own American dream will be what you wanted it to be and to succeed in the efforts that you chose. If your an immigrant from a third world country then practically anything would be an upgrade, especially the vision of free medical care, child birth and privileges, the dream is still strong. If you are everyone else, middle and lower class, the dream is dead, downward movement more plausible. So, everyone has a different outlook on the American Dream and what it means to them so is it attainable is the main question.

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