The majority of my life thus far has taken place within the corporation limits of Lima, Ohio. Like any other community, Lima has its strong points and faults. Lima has a fascinating history which is a source of local pride. It is home to an oil refinery which was for decades the largest in the world as well The Lima Army Tank Plant, which is the only manufacturer of the M1 Abrams tank. Throughout the Cold War, Lima was ranked fifth in the nation for most likely to be attacked by the Soviet Union, because of those two features. As a major center for oil, banking and manufacturing, Lima once attracted thousands of new residents a year at its peak. At one time, Lima boasted two performance halls, an Opera house, several community theaters and countless movie houses. Large Mansions popped up along Market Street and on the West Side of town from the 1880's to the late 1920's. A perfect example of a Rust Belt city, Lima has been in a state of gradual but constant decline for decades. Most of the Wealthier citizens moved out to suburbs such as Shawnee, Bath and Elida. As a result, some areas of town have languished while others have expanded. Overall, the changes in Lima since the 1970's are typical of many other Rust belt cities.
For the most part, the signs of our former prominence have disappeared. However, Lima continues to enjoy great cultural activities year round. Major cultural venues include the Crouse Performance Hall, Encore Theatre, Memorial Hall and the Town Square. Built in 1977, The Crouse Performance Hall is home to the Lima Symphony Orchestra and hosts other concerts as well as hosting traveling Broadway shows. The City Club is located in a recently renovated building that adjoins Crouse, it hosts a jazz n...
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...n my first few years, my parents and I, followed by three younger brothers occupied a 2 bedroom apartment downtown, then a small farmhouse in Ada, my brothers are two young to remember either. My dad took over ownership of the business years ago, as the business grew larger, we grew more affluent and in 1997 we moved back to Lima and into a large 6 bedroom house in the Market Street Historic District. Since then, my parents have given frequently support the arts and the Lima Symphony Orchestra in particular. I now live in that same apartment above the business that we had occupied as a family years ago, while I attend college. Based on my experience, the American Dream is very much assessable in Lima, Ohio. It is not a place where there is easy money to be made, But for those who are willing to work hard, there is no reason why they shouldn't achieve success.
The American dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of birthplace, social class, or economic class, can attain success in the American society. Sadly, countless people will never achieve success in this society because they are foreign born. In Warren St. John’s book Outcasts United, St. John sheds light onto the numerous hardships that the tiny American town of Clarkston faces when thousands of refugees attempt to create a brand-new life there. At first Clarkston stood completely divided by original residents and refugees, but it wasn’t until the refugees and old residents saw past their physical differences of language, culture, and past life experiences that Clarkston began to thrive. Although the majority of projects started out helping
The United States has always been viewed as a land of opportunity, where one could achieve anything they put their mind to, no matter who they are. Freedom and economic stability are the factors that make our country appealing. People are hopeful that the opportunities the country holds will help them achieve the American dream. This dream consists of achieving financial success, but time has proven that the American dream is a rare occurrence. Unfortunately, ambition, hard work, nor perseverance are enough to be successful in America. No individual is guaranteed success or destined for failure, but it is apparent that women, people of color, and those born into poverty will face greater obstacles than others,
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 American dream can be realized by anyone who puts their mind to it. Some people shoot for what they can afford and some turn for the stars. The House On Mango Street really gives people a good example of how a poor American family can achieve the American Dream. Esperanza and her family proves that anyone with a strong will and a lot of hope can make a worthwhile struggle for what they need to get ever closer to the fulfilling and completing their extension of the American Dream so maybe, it would not be an extension anymore. So they do achieve their own version while Esperanza must now go off and achieve hers.
Is it possible to achieve the American Dream? This ideal of achieving the American Dream came back in the early 1900’s. Immigrants who traveled from all over the world to the United States were searching for better job opportunities and comfortable homes. They sought to conquer wealth and provide an upper lifestyle for their families. Also, this ideal is pretty much existed today, but in a more realistic approach. Different from before, now there is a vast of resources that are available so people can have choices before they decide to invest their money on a new business or buy a new property. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is based on the story of an immigrant family who came from Lithuania to the United States. This family arrived to Packingtown
The American dream can be many things, it just solely depends on the person interpreting that fantasy. This dream can be just having a regular family, a wife/husband and a couple of kids, or it can be obtaining a level of wealth that you never imagined having. In the novel, Goodbye, Columbus the main character, Neil Klugman, is a twenty three year old guy with a philosophy degree and works at the library. As the story progresses, Neil seems to have an internal conflict about what he’s planning on doing for the rest of his life and trying to find out what is his ideal American dream. While he’s dating his wealthy and beautiful girlfriend, Brenda Patimkin, Neil has to decide is the American dream just about having all these expensive material.
America is seen as the land of opportunity in that there are endless possibilities for an individual. In this land of opportunity, Americans strive to obtain the ideal known as the American dream. The American Dream is seen as the accomplishment of an ambition achieved while challenged by adversity.1 Americans often associate this success with the ownership of a home. The home is not simply a place of basic protection; there is a much deeper connection to the individual. Ownership of a home grants freedom and security that establishes a sense permanency for the individual. In contrast, renting a living space possesses a semblance of instability and dependence.2 The desire to improve ones’ position in life inspires one to obtain the American dream.
"The American Dream." Gale Student Resources in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. 14 May 2014.
As individuals, we have our own ideas of what the American Dream consists of. To some it may be the realm of possibilities, while to others it may be fame and fortune. America is the only country in which the idea of a national dream has been continually upheld, and we have been a model for other nations to follow. Foreigners have come here to live the dream, and all the while Americans are still struggling to find it. As we continue to search high and low for how to find or how we can buy the dream and make it a reality, Americans have promiscuously thrown their money around in hopes of obtaining the dream and consequently are broke and more miserable than ever. Does the American Dream actually exist, and if so, is there really a way to achieve or acquire it after all these years of unrelenting pursuit?
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 bill 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). “At the core of the concept is the individual’s responsibility to aim for and achieve the American dream by working hard and taking advantage of the freedom offered to them by the country” (“The American Dream” 1). “A recent nationwide survey from LearnVest found that 43 percent of Americans today feel the dream is attainable for everyone - and about the same percentage feels that it’s within their grasp, personally,” notes Camille Noe Pagan. “For American Dreamers today,” states Nicole, ...
In Bryant’s article, he describes all of the issues that prohibits American citizens from reaching the American dream and says that it is nearly impossible. However, Jim Motavalli writes in his article “The American Dream Is Alive – These People Prove It”, that the American dream is not dead and that you can still get to that point in your
Firstly, the American Dream is only achievable to those who make the sacrifices and have what it takes to achieve the American Dream. In “Europe and America” by, David Ignatow he explains that his father had to make a lot of sacrifices for him to become successful. In lines 7-9 he
The American Dream can obliterate any prospect of satisfaction and does not show its own unfeasibility. The American dream is combine and intensely implanted in every structure of American life. During the previous years, a very significant number of immigrants had crossed the frontier of the United States of America to hunt the most useful thing in life, the dream, which every American human being thinks about the American dream. Many of those immigrants sacrificed their employments, their associations and connections, their educational levels, and their languages at their homelands to start their new life in America and prosper in reaching their dream.
The idea that this country offers so much opportunity that can be obtained by anyone provides people with the ability to dream their own dreams. The American Dream can be a motivational fire, but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication, one must focus on building a balanced life for themselves, participate in honest work and practice their craft to have marketable skills are just stick out from the competition. People work their whole lives making money so they can satisfy their desires. The idea of being able to purchase the items people always dreamed of is an achievement in itself. Having a great family owning a home and having beautiful things to fill it with is a common dream amongst people. Many people take pride in what they possess. People want to own nice homes, nice cars, and nice clothes. Some need to look successful in order to feel successful. These people feel successful when they can admire what their hard work has given them and when they can see they build something their kids can also benefit from.
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.