The American Dream – Comment
Although the term American Dream is often being used, it is not really defined.
The American Dream is the myth or the faith that everybody, no matter of which ethnic, social or economic backround, can reach anything, if he really wants to.This mentality is shaped from immigrants, who came to the United States in the first half of the 20 century. But also the early european settlers, mainly the Pilgrim Fathers believed in values like hard work, courage and determination to establish themselves in the “New World”. The American Dream became very famous during the last centuries and it became the primary reason for immigrants wanting to come to America.
But is this faith still existing today?
On the one hand the American Dream is criticized for being superficial and meaningless, because its hard to say, that only disciplined and hard working people can be successful in their lives. If we trusted in the American Dream, poorness would be a sign of laziness. But Children of poor families for example do not have the same chances than children of rich families, because the American school system doesn’t allow poor pupils to get an equal education. Therefore hard work alone is not a forceable argument for having success.
Another point for people, who are criticizing the American Dream is, that this mentality is only defined with success instead of looking at other, more important factors in the life of a human, like family and intelligence.
On the other hand the American Dream is still the hope of many people, who are living in the United States. And there are still immigrants coming to the USA who want to start a new life by living the American Dream. Nowadays the possibility to fulfill this dream is still given, as it is told in many rags to riches stories: Ordinary people started new companies from their garages, and became millionaires because of the internet.
Facts
Origin/ history
- Already the first European settlers and the pilgrim fathers shaped this mentality.
- As a result of the gold rush and the frontier movement many prospectors and settlers headed westwards and bought cheap land.
- After that, mainly European and in middle of the 19. century many Chinese and Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States.
- Nowadays: Fulfillment of the American Dream often by the internet.
Famous examples
Ford Rockefeller, Arnold Schwarzenegger
Criticism
- not possible for everybody to reach this goal only by hard work
- poorness is no sign of laziness
- superficial and meaningless
- ignors factors like family, intelligence
- “money doesn’t buy happyness”
- unfair school system in the United States