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The american dream racism
How does racism get in the way of the american dream
The american dream racism
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American Dream Everyone grows up with the thought of an American dream in mind . Unfortunately that American dream is only limited to the people who are not of color. Sadly the people of color and the american dream don 't match up to well. I feel that this is because it can’t be easily obtained due to improper education and never being given the opportunity to show what they’re made of. Maybe if we weren 't categorized by our living arrangements, or the amount of our wealth, or better yet being presumed as these incompetent animals who aren’t good for nothing. Then we too would be able to achieve our own american dreams ,but as people of color the chances of that are not likely living in a world that feeds us with this improper mindset. …show more content…
It’s meant to be understood that an african american child can only be in a position of average or below.For example in my highschool as a senior we are able to make our own schedule for the year . Since i finished all of my math requirements so that meant I could choose another math class to take or I could have a free period. I like a challenge so I decided to take AP Statistics. On the first day of school as my teacher is doing an introduction she mentions that we have until end of the week to withdraw from the class. As we’re walking out of the classroom she hands me a withdraw form and says “ guidance counselors always make these mistakes” I was astonished because I have heard and seen the race card being played but never to me. After that I made it my personal goal to pass that class with an A. I would do so good on my tests that she accused me of cheating one day. She made it seem as if the class was impossible for a person of color to do good in. Another thing that stops an african american child from achieving their American dream is society limiting them just because of their living circumstance and wealth .I …show more content…
Of course things won 't be different over night but if we work little by little then it definitely could change and make the american dream more achievable to the African American. Education would be the biggest turning point if changed. The mindset of everyone should be changed to become more equally understanding. There shouldn’t be any favoritism or neglect most importantly . African american students shouldn’t be left hanging just because of assumptions that they don’t have the same level or even more of intelligence as the white student. School system also shouldn 't hold them back from excelling by not giving them proper material. They deserve the same treatment and privileges as the white schools. Teachers should also have a level of equality that doesn’t make them feel the need to be of ignorance and negligence just because they feel that the african american child doesn’t belong. We should also change the stereotyping because of the area we live in . No one purposely picks their living circumstances . Just because little timmy lives in the highest crime rated neighborhood doesn’t mean that he’s the one committing the crimes. Most kids are trying to there hardest to get out of the place they’re living but if society keeps telling you to fear the black man instead of getting to know him then how exactly are we supposed to achieve our dream. You can’t belittle us for being poor when you won’t even give us a shot at succeeding the same
Although the American Dream is considered to be the link that binds society, there are some individuals that do not posses link to unit. The African Americans have been struggling for many years to obtain the piece of the American Dream, their place in America. Joseph Kennedy has frustration and anger built up while trying to find his place in America, “Goddamn it! I was born in this country! My children were born in this country! What the hell does someone have to do to become an American” (qtd. In Harris 369)? If someone challenges the concepts of the American Dream then maybe our country can unite. Do not fear the American Dream, yes it is a powerful force that molds society but each individual controls the power. If one does not believe in the American Dream then the power of the Dream is weakened. Would America unite and become equal if someone challenges the American Dream?
The argument that is presented is that not everyone can accomplish the dream even if they were dedicated, and worked hard. The ideal dream for Americans to achieve was to be successful and provide for their family, but for some people dreams are affected by their environment or by not having the proper material to get to where they need to be in life. For instance, someone who is oppressed in society won’t have the resources as someone who lives in a healthy environment or comes from a wealthy family. They instead will face being in-depth and having the struggle of trying their best so they can provide for their family once they graduate. The dream itself doesn’t take into consideration of these factors, it instead upholds one image of who actually is able to achieve the dream. Which would be someone who is able-bodied, Caucasian, of Middle or High
The American Dream. What is it exactly? Well, it is the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. However, can everyone really achieve it? Yes, anyone can achieve the American Dream with enough hard work and dedication to pursue a good life. In order to maintain the American Dream there are some important ways to achieve it. Such as: a strong work ethic, a good education, and being determined.
...nities’”. After reading and analyzing what hooks and Ehrenreich had to say, I don’t know that I believe that anymore. As individuals and as a country, we have much work to do to provide equal opportunities here and end racism once and for all. The question is, can we do it? I believe we can. Slavery was abolished. Women fought for and received the right to vote. The Civil Rights movement brought about great change in this country and went a long way towards the goal of ending racial discrimination. The idea of the American Dream has been around for over a long time, but it is still, in my opinion, far from reality. People should not be discriminated against because of their race, or forced to live in poverty. I hope to see changes for the better in America, changes which I believe are long overdue. Perhaps then the American Dream will become a reality.
The American Dream is so important to our country and especially for our generation to take seriously. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life you have always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. The American Dream was much easier to attain a few decades ago compared to today. However, it is still possible. The economy was better fifty years ago than it is today. People are in greater debt now and the United States is in higher debt than it was fifty years ago. The American Dream is still possible despite the lack of improvement within social mobility in American society over the past years. The American dream is achievable by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and that lifestyle is obtainable through hard work and perseverance, even in light of obstacles such as racism. “The American Dream is still achievable, however, the good news is that people at the bottom are just as likely to move up the income ladder today as they were 50 years ago” (O’Brien 1). The ability to attain the American Dream is hindered by race, the middle class, and giving up facing adversity.
People usually do not have a concrete plan for their future, so they do not know what direction they are going to take; it is so difficult for people to set themselves up for success when they have no real support system put in place. They often have negative people around them that will bring them down, too, which will lead to a lack of motivation, and this will set them up for failure, especially when they set goals that are not clear enough or realistic. People are usually not motivated or disciplined enough, use too many excuses, and get overwhelmed by obstacles, causing them to fail.
“We like to tell ourselves that America is the land of opportunity, but the reality doesn’t match the rhetoric - and hasn’t for awhile” (Matthew O’Brien 1). In today’s economic situations, dreaming big may seem unaffordable, but not impossible. To achieve this goal many aspects should be analyzed to understand the American dream, weakened retirement, and smart investments. Megan Cottrell states that “graduate from college. Get married. Buy a house. Have kids. Put in a few decades of hard work, and then it’s time to retire by 65. That’s the American Dream, right?” (1).
The term American Dream was initially set by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of American which was written in 1931. In the book, James Truslow Adams (1931) stated that the American Dream was a dream of having a land to stay; each person had a better, richer and more fulfilling life, and those who had the ability or achievement were always full of opportunities. In the video of the American Dream, it assumes that is also a belief that as long as the American do a hard struggle, they will be able to achieve the idea of a successful life. It’s suitable to say in the 21st century in some specific example but not all situation. (Citation) In addition, American Dream existed long before the words created. In the colonial period, the immigrants
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck shows American dream as an unreachable goal for the characters. Of Mice and Men is a novel based on two childhood friends, Lennie and George, who travel together in search of work. Lennie, the gentle giant, has a mental disability and an obsession of petting soft objects. One day, while stroking a girl’s hair, Lennie accidently kills her. And eventually by the end of the novel, George is forced to shoot Lennie. Steinbeck shows American Dream as an unreachable goal because of a character’s standing in the society, their dreams to be unreal and their dependency on other characters.
There are various individuals throughout the world who believe that the American Dream cannot be achieved by all people. Those who agree with this view believe that our culture contains too many roadblocks and obstacles. Some of these obstacles include prejudice, poverty, and social inequality. Another view on this matter is that others believe that America is the “Land of Opportunity”. They also believe that if you can believe it, you can achieve it. Back in the early 20th century, The American Dream meant something to people; nowadays it is a term that various people loosely throw around. The American Dream is not realistic because it is not attainable to everyone like Cal Thomas presumes and although education, budget cuts and lack of employment may seem of some concern to only a small group of people, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about the status of the economy.
The American dream is the general belief that American Citizens all have an equal opportunity to succeed socially and economically, regardless of any predating circumstances. This idea has been accepted as possible by the majority of citizens in this country. This “dream” cannot be true, as there are multiple discriminations in this country, which make it impossible for everyone to have the same chance to succeed. Biases against racial minorities, women, and citizens from lower social classes are examples of just a few reasons that everyone does not have the same chance to succeed in our current economic and social system in America, resulting in unequal chances to achieve “the American Dream.”
... The more research that took place during this research paper made it more evident that the realisticity of people with color being able to achieve the American Dream is very scarce. With the numbers and data that certain researchers have collected, it proved that the achievement of the American Dream among people of color was indeed less due to certain obstacles and complications that others do not overcome. From jobs to home locations, the people of African American descendants always got the “left-overs” of the Americans and statistics support this claim. Although education could be an escape from poverty, the people of color rarely have access to good schools or education systems. All of these factors are evidently confirmations that the realisticity of a colored person to achieve the American Dream in today’s society is not impossible, however very difficult.
America is a very self-fulfilling economy and class matters after all in this so called “American Dream.” When did teenagers become any different. Last time I checked we were all equal. John M. Bridgeland in First, Help Today’s Struggling Youth. states that yet every year in America more than one million youth drop out of high school, crippling their chance at the American Dream.” John also states; “Nearly one in six, between the ages of sixteen to twenty four years old, is disconnected from the two structures that offer hope for their future.” These are school and work. This is where we need to promote growth and provide teens with any tools necessary to achieve. We need to be open to any ideas that this generation foresees in the future. John is a strong believer in the Youth Build program. In the third paragraph of First, Help Today’s Struggling Youth., he says that with a track record of success, Youth Build offers a holistic program of education, job training, personal counseling, community service, leadership development, placement in college or jobs, and follow-up support afte...
The sole act of having to fight to be treated the same as the person next to you in your own country demonstrates the fundamental gap between African Americans and Whites in America. Whites never had to fight to be treated with fundamental liberties, therefore putting their attempt at the American Dream much more plausible than an
The American Dream The American dream has always been a talk amongst the American culture. When people speak of it, they often think back to the 19th century. The American Dream can be thought about when learning information on the Declaration of Independence which states that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. This was written by Thomas Jefferson.