The American Dream: A False Hope My parents came to this country in search of a better life, and better opportunities for their children. The jobless days and food restrictions of post-war communist Vietnam was too much for my father, and as a result, he fled from the country in the 80s, on a journey to America. America was the land of opportunity, hopes and dreams. Many others like him fled from the poor standards of living of their country, seeking the American Dream that radiated its message throughout the world. It was a place where people could become successful, as long as they worked hard and put their mind to it. At least, it used to be. Today, many say that the American Dream is dead due to its slim chance of statistical achievability.
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This has been a leading cause to the death of the American Dream, due to the differences in income between the upper class, the middle class, and everyone else. The PBS article Point Taken states that “Income growth has occurred mostly across the highest economic brackets” (Pew Research Center). “Wages for the American middle class have stayed close to level from the early 90’s until around 2013 (FiveThirtyEight).” The richest people in the country, such as CEOs and investors, have had their income increase throughout the years, while income for the middle class hasn’t moved at all. The American minimum wage of $7 hasn’t adjusted for the inflation of the American dollar, which throws us into the dilemma of income inequality. Those who are the poorest and work at minimum wage are still consistently making the same amount of money. Chetty explains that as income inequality grows, it could “erode children’s chances of achieving the American Dream,” since there is a higher gap of income to conquer when moving up economic and social levels. As the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class dissolves, social mobility decreases, bringing the American dream down with
This has been a leading cause to the death of the American Dream, due to the differences in income between the upper class, the middle class, and everyone else. The PBS article Point Taken states that “Income growth has occurred mostly across the highest economic brackets” (Pew Research Center). “Wages for the American middle class have stayed close to level from the early 90’s until around 2013 (FiveThirtyEight).” The richest people in the country, such as CEOs and investors, have had their income increase throughout the years, while income for the middle class hasn’t moved at all. The American minimum wage of $7 hasn’t adjusted for the inflation of the American dollar, which throws us into the dilemma of income inequality. Those who are the poorest and work at minimum wage are still consistently making the same amount of money. Chetty explains that as income inequality grows, it could “erode children’s chances of achieving the American Dream,” since there is a higher gap of income to conquer when moving up economic and social levels. As the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class dissolves, social mobility decreases, bringing the American dream down with