Because the concept of the American Dream has been around for many years, it is something that is familiar to everyone. It can be agreed that people all have their own opinions and views about it; even decades have their own version of the American Dream. But what about for the 1990’s? What was the American Dream during that era? The American Dream in the 90’s was greatly influenced by three things: the expansion in technology, the thriving economy, and various, pivotal political events; based on those three components, the American Dream can be defined as individual success, such as money, power, fame, and development. The first aspect that influenced the American Dream was the social climate. Society in the 90’s was a time of great advancements, …show more content…
especially with the evolution of technology. Many people invested in .com, which made some of them very rich. One example of this was the development of Google. According to Mark Hall, “Google [was] founded in 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page...who met...at Stanford University. They ultimately raised about $1 million from investors. [But by] mid-1999...Google received...$25 million.” To put this into context, it was quite easy for people to become wealthy and prominent by funding in .com. Nearly anyone could have done it, which meant that anyone could become the creators of the “next big thing”. Another example of investing in .com was Yahoo. Yahoo was created by Jerry Yang and David Filo, who were also from Stanford, in 1995. Initially, “Sequoia [Capital] invested $1 million dollars. [But] by early 1999, Sequoia’s initial $1 million was worth $8 billion. At the peak of Yahoo’s market valuation, the value of that initial 1/4th of Yahoo would be worth more than $30 billion” (McCullough). Financing in .com was one of the most common ways Americans became wealthy, powerful, and famous. It was also one of the quickest ways; some might even call it a high-risk, low-effort method of getting money. A concurrent facet that influenced the American Dream was the flourishing economy. One example of this is the article, “The Best Decade Ever? The 1990’s, Obviously”, by Kurt Andersen, which states, “The United States economy grew by an average of 4 percent per year between 1992 and 1999.” People’s confidence rose due to this, thus resulting in consumers buying more. Like a cycle, producers then began to manufacture additional products by hiring more people, which proceeded in an increase in jobs. Furthermore, Kurt Andersen also mentioned in his article: “An average of 1.7 million jobs a year were added to the American work force [and] the unemployment rate dropped from nearly 8 percent in 1992 to 4 percent.” In reference to the cycle again, an increase in jobs meant that people spent more, which gave more money to the government in terms of taxes. As a result, our country generated a budget surplus. With this, the government could do several things, such as invest, give it back to the public in a form of refund, or cut tax. Consequently, this caused Americans to feel very optimistic and lead them to believe that life was getting better. A final component that influenced the American Dream was the political climate.
Several things transpired politically in the 1990’s, but one of the most crucial events was the Immigration Act: “[The Immigration Act] allowed for an increase in the number of legal immigrants into the United States and... increased the numbers of work visas and visas awarded to immigrants hoping to become permanent residents of the United States” (Bell). Although some people were against this, it was actually quite beneficial. For example, it helped the immigrants because it gave them a job and a better life, and it helped the United States by increasing its workforce. Along with the Immigration Act, a few wars were also going on; the Persian Gulf War was one of them. As described in the article, “Persian Gulf War”, “Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion...of Kuwait. [When] Hussein defied United Nations Security Council demands to withdraw from Kuwait...the [war] began with a massive U.S.-led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm. After 42 days of relentless attacks...President George H.W. Bush declared a cease-fire [but] by that time, most Iraqi forces in Kuwait had either surrendered or fled.” The fact that the United States won this war for Kuwait showed that they are still the dominant superpower of the world. It also gave Americans a sense of pride and made them feel strong and
undefeatable. Of course, some people have different views on what the American Dream was in the 90’s, but others also believe the dream was individual success. Delia Pugeda, who is a stay-at-home mom of two, is one of these people. “I came to America in 1994, I think. Yeah, 1994,” Delia states. “I think the American Dream in the 1990’s, in my opinion, was to work hard, you know? Like, work hard and be successful to survive here; because everything costs money, so you need to work hard to have enough money to support yourself and your family.” Another person, Celestino (June) Pugeda, also believes this is the American Dream, as he states, “Basically, the American Dream during the 90’s was finding the next big thing; to strike it rich.” The advancements in technology, the booming economy, and numerous, eminent political events all helped to shape the 1990’s. But what does it all mean? And how did they affect the view of the American Dream? The answer is that each aspect impacted a part of the dream. For instance, technology made many people famous and was a major factor of advancement, the booming economy made several people rich, and last but not least, the political occurrences made various people feel powerful. But in the end, they all come down to one thing: individual success.
After World War II, America had to take a step back and take a look at their country. The American Dream had been restored upon the atrocities of the war. In the 1930’s the American Dream was primarily focused on working hard, men providing for their families, and trying to rise from the depression. In the 1940’s, post World War II things changed and consumerism and feminism began to play a key role along with many other factors. There are many ways to describe the American dream and what aspects were influential to it, such as World War II, modernism, new technology and entertainment.
First, what is the American dream? According to David Wallechinsky, “the traditional American Dream is based on the belief that hardworking citizens can improve their lives, pay their monthly bills without worry, give their children a start to an even better life, and still save enough to live comfortably after they retire” (1). “The American Dream” states, “It has always represented the possibility for individuals to succeed and live a life of wealth and comfort, made possible by both the political and economic attitudes in the USA and the individual’s own hard work” (1). Daniella Nicole adds that “in years past, chasing the American Dream meant the sky was the limit. . .” (1).
To do what makes oneself happy. The American Dream is represented in many different ways and every person lives and chases a different version of the American Dream. Chris McCandless lived his American dream by walking alone into the wilderness of Alaska. The song written by Toby Keith, “American Soldier”, shows the price some pay for their dreams and ours to come true. Jay Gatsby died trying to acheive his dream and get the girl he loved, but died happy because he had pursued her until his death. The band All Time Low wrote a song called “The Reckless and The Brave” that brings a new light to how we go about achieving our dreams. So I believe that the American Dream is all about doing what will make you the happiest in the end.
The American Dream is to strive to be successful, wealthy, and happy. People want to opportunity to achieve high paying jobs, earn a good salary, and start a family. The American Dream does not exist though because people are judged on race, background, and other diversities.
Comparing the perspective of the American dream in the 1920’s to the American Dream in the 1940’s and present day seems to be a repeating cycle. The American dream is always evolving and changing. The American dream for present day is similar to the dream of the 1920’s. An Ideal of the American life is to conform to what our society has determined is success. Money, materialism and status had replaced the teachings of our founding fathers in the 1920’s. A return to family values and hard work found its way back into American’s lives in the 1940’s. The same pursuit of that indulgent lifestyle that was popular in the roaring twenty’s has returned today for most Americans, many Americans are living on credit and thinking that money and the accumulation of material items can solve all problems. Through film, literature, art and music, an idealized version of what it means to be an American has changed from money, materialism, and status of the 1920s to hard work and family values of the forties.
The American Dream, the idea that has been glorified for centuries and has kept the generations pushing onward, in hopes of bettering themselves and their families, has not dimmed in the last twenty some years. The concept is essentially the same, but the means have changed over the years. In the past, hard work, sweat, sometimes blood, but always tenacity were the hallmark traits for success. No, it seems that without a college education, one cannot hope to succeed comfortably in modem American culture. Students have progressed from the traditional college•age students and have developed to include middle aged adults seeking a better paycheck. Regardless of the age, ahnost all of the students are going in order to get a better career and a
What is the American dream? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the American Dream as, “An American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and material prosperity.” The American Dream has always encompassed that general idea, but different aspects of it have evolved during specific time periods.
Everything changed in August 1963. America was mesmerized with the famous speech “I Have a Dream” delivered by Martin Luther King. People from all over the nation gathered for one single motive, social justice, and with that citizens of the United States yearned hope for a better tomorrow; a tomorrow in which they could see a breaking dawn to a day full up roaring opportunities for everyone disregarding their ethnic background, gender, sexual preference, or economic standing. This soon led to what is now known as “The American Dream.” America’s reputation for being the land of endless possibilities has captured both foreign attention as well as native patriotism. Success here in America is defined as having a good social position and a plethora of
When thinking about freedom many thoughts come to mind. However, freedom is just a broad statement in something even bigger. The American Dream, not just the hope of freedom, but also equality, happiness, and certain key rights that every person should be entitled to. It’s because of all these factors that make The American Dream not so much a reality. It’s difficult to see equality when thinking about local asylum seekers, disputes over same sex marriage and the lack of education for women all around the world.
For many years the American Dream has enticed many people as it offered the prospect of a new life in America. This appealed to immigrants and Americans alike as the American Dream represented hope, economic security, and a chance at a better future. Coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931, the “American Dream” referred to an idealist life in which freedom, equality, and opportunity were available to every American through hard work. Although this may have been evident for many Americans in the past, with the onset of economic inequalities between the social classes, financial problems, and changes in living conditions, the idealized American Dream has been increasingly difficult to attain among
Alice Huang English 11H: Period 6 Mr. Nguyen March 9, 2014 The Illusion of the American Dream People do not fall in love with what is right in front of them. They want the dream–what they cannot have; the more unreachable, the more attractive. Because the dream is so unrealistic and disillusioned, the pursuit of it eventually ends in ruin. The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a novel representing the corruption of the social setting during the Jazz Age.
What is the American Dream, and who are the people most likely to pursue its often elusive fulfillment? Indeed, the American Dream has come to represent the attainment of myriad of goals that are specific to each individual. While one person might consider a purchased home with a white picket fence her version of the American Dream, another might regard it as the financial ability to operate his own business. Clearly, there is no cut and dried definition of the American Dream as long as any two people hold a different meaning. What it does universally represent, however, it the opportunity for people to seek out their individual and collective desires under a political umbrella of democracy.
A period of time when the American Dream was prevalent in the minds of everyone was the Great Depression, which took place in the 1930’s. It started after the crash of the stock market in 1929 (Great Depression), The Depression had an incredible impact on the United States’ economy. During
The American dream is white picket fences, freshly cut bright green grass, the smell of homemade apple pie, fresh groceries from Whole Foods and a three story suburban house in a safe neighborhood. It is the worriless state of a financially secure career, marriage, and kids. The American dream as perpetuated in movies, television, shows and media is the story of rags to riches but not quite rich instead high middle-class. “...our media is national in nature and single-minded in purpose. This media plays a key role in defining our cultural tastes, helping us locate ourselves in history, establishing our national identity, and ascertaining the range of national and social possibilities” (610). The dream seems easily obtainable by a get rich easy planner business.
“The American dream” has become a widespread way of expressing the American Way of Life. The American Dream" always has something individual. That is, why till today no one succeeded in giving a universally acceptable definition of the term.