The American Dream

The American Dream is the idea that individuals from all walks of life living in the United States can find prosperity and success. At a very young age we are taught that any goal can be achieved by honest, hard work. The concept stems from the statement that all men are created equal, thus any man (or woman), whether born into poverty or wealth, has the ability to follow their own dream of success. These days, this may seem quite far-fetched and unrealistic. From a sociological standpoint, the fact is that people born into poverty are given completely different opportunities throughout life and are at a disadvantage from the start than those born into wealthy means. Still, the American Dream is acknowledged universally, which is why so many individuals born in other countries desire to move to the U.S. Sorry, again, to go back to the European examples, but I must in order to make my point. While in France, I became very close with a group of 3 Ecuadorian boys. One had lived in London, England for 7 years and all 3 had been in France for at least the last year. They all dream of coming to the U.S. They have all been able to find work in England and/or France, they all receive education there, but still it is the U.S. that they idolize. I had actually heard them drop the line "the American Dream" and it made me chuckle, because they truly believe that if they could just find the money or get the visas to get into the U.S., that they would be able to make it for sure. They speak of our huge lawns, large houses, swimming pools, etc. as if these are things only movie stars could own in other countries, but in the U.S. they are commonplace. They talk about Miami, New York, California, Las Vegas, like they must be the greatest places in the world, full of endless opportunities. It shocks them when I tell them that the job market is in fact terrible right now and I cannot even find a summer job! Of course, I do not crush their high hopes and optimism of the American Dream. I also hope that it is obtainable; that anyone can succeed in our country, despite the socio-economic status in which they were born. After all, that is what the founding fathers had in mind.