The Problem With The American Dream

The Problem with the American Dream

According to the history books, the widely-known expression “the American Dream” was originally coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931. It was first described in Adams’s book “The Epic of America” as “...not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain the fullest stature of which they are innately capable.” Over the years, America has become more egalitarian, but much must be done until there is true equality. Although the concept of the American Dream has always been believed to be open to everyone, throughout American history it has only been continuously accessible to the upper-class majority. The misconception that a

“The New Colossus” written by Emma Lazarus has become iconic because of the statement “‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.’” The poem has become historic because of its message about the American Dream, but the promise that everyone has a chance at the American Dream is a lie. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was created a year before the poem was written and was not repealed until almost a decade after the expression the American Dream was coined. This act was the first significant law that restricted immigration into the United States. By passing the Chinese Exclusion Act, the United States denied all Chinese People hoping to come to America a chance to achieve the American

Since the creations of plantations, immense landowners controlled the economy in their market while diminutive landowners would often struggle to stay afloat or reach the success of wealthy plantation owners. During the industrial revolution, poor whites moved from plantations to factories and every member of a family, including young children, would get jobs in factories. Factory owners would often cut corners in order to save money while the factory workers were the ones affected. Factories were not safe and would catch fire often killing the workers inside and the pay received for the work was barely enough to support a family. All these examples show that poor and working-class whites also had little opportunity to realize the American Dream. In the 1970s article, “Pre-Election Mood: ‘There is No Time for Dreams’” James T. Wooten indirectly talks about the perspective of the working on the American Dream. A man named Dewey David Burton basically comes to terms with the fact that he can not achieve his dream. After years of working as an auto worker, he has not made any significant improvement. Even after his wife gets a job, his family makes just enough to maintain their standard of