The American Dream Essay

Have you ever wondered about the state of the American Dream? It used to be a beacon of hope and prosperity, a promise of a better life for all. However, lately, it feels like that dream is slipping away. It is a concerning trend that many people wonder if the American Dream is still alive or if it has become a distant memory. The American Dream has been prevalent throughout the history of the United States, containing the idea that any individual from any background can achieve success through hard work and determination. For generations, the American Dream symbolized hope for immigrants seeking opportunity and citizens hoping to live better lives. The Dream is traditionally defined by economic success through homeownership and social mobility.

Depending on the background one comes from, they often have different levels of education, varying financial stability while they are young, and varying role models to look up to. A kid born into a wealthy white family will often have much better chances of success than a child born into a poor minority family. According to the text “A philosopher ponders the Death of the American Dream” by Dan Kopf, “While almost 60% of 25 year-olds from families in the top 20% in income graduated from college in the late 2000s, that is only true of about 12% of children from the bottom 40%.” (Kopf paragraph 6). This suggests that those born into wealthy families are statistically more likely to graduate from college. College educations are essential for achieving success and often results in higher incomes. These statistics suggest that most children from the bottom 40% will make less than those born in the top 20%. According to the text, “Higher Education and the “American Dream”: Why the Status Quo Will not Get Us There,” On page 66, “If we want students—and indeed citizens—to think critically, innovatively, and imaginatively, higher education is going to have to provide them with ideas worth thinking about, in an environment that facilitates the development of authentic collegiate competencies” (Keene 66). This conveys that a college education significantly

Although there have been significant steps in racial equality, racism is still prevalent and serves as a roadblock for minorities hoping to achieve the American Dream. One aspect where minorities are discriminated against is homeownership. In his commentary, Fisher Jack states, “In-home improvement loans, 63% of Blacks were denied compared to only 39% for whites. Similarly, nearly a quarter – 24.5% of Blacks were denied home purchase loans, while the corresponding number for whites was 13.4%.” (Jack, paragraph 15). These statistics suggest that African Americans are discriminated against when it comes to taking loans for home-related expenses. Homeownership is a critical component of the American Dream, and African Americans are twice as likely to be denied loans for home improvement or home purchases than White Americans. Additionally, on page 76 of Martha Graham Viator’s article "Is the “American Dream” of Homeownership an Equal Opportunity Goal?", “For decades, even though African Americans qualified for FHA loans, realtors frequently refused to sell homes in white communities to minority buyers, forcing these buyers into less desirable neighborhoods with lower housing values” (Viator 76). The FHA was implemented during the Great Depression, and it encouraged banks to offer more appealing loans, encouraging homeownership. The FHA was successful in promoting