The American Dream And The Wage Gap

Ever since the discovery of America, thousands and thousands of people have travelled to the new land in hopes of attaining freedom, happiness, and prosperity. This idea is more commonly referred to as the American Dream. But what is the American Dream exactly? According to James Truslow Adams, the original coiner of the term, it is a “dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” As the explanation states, a person’s ability to reach the American Dream is dependent on one’s efforts, but that is not all to it. Other components that affect one’s chances are social class, the education system, and the wage gap. Due to these factors, America does …show more content…
The subject of race has created many differences in the world, especially when it comes to the wage gap. The most drastic differences in the wage gap pertain particularly to women of color. According to an article done in 2014 by the American Association of University Women (AAUW), “Hispanic or Latina women are paid 89 percent of what Hispanic or Latino men are paid, and only 53 percent of what white men are paid. African American women are paid 89 percent of what African American men are paid, and that number drops to 64 percent in comparison with white men.” As one can see, a woman of color would need to work almost as twice as much as a white man in order to receive an equal amount of pay. This injustice makes it much more difficult for many people to make a living; it is not fair that one needs to work harder due to his or her race. On account of the unfairness shown in the wage gap, the American Dream is not so obtainable as it …show more content…
According to the New York Times, "In early 2009, 72% of Americans still believed that hard work could result in riches." But since then, that number has dropped recently and "64% of respondents said they still believed in the American Dream." What could have caused this decline of faith? The rest of this study found that the reason was most likely the over-regulation of money. To support this idea, just glance at the the millions of people who experience homelessness and the hundreds that die from it each year in the U.S.. They certainly try as hard as they can to escape their situation but it is not as easy as it sounds for a person to change their financial situation, especially when the government is strict when it comes to money. This economic and financial dilemma is yet another example of how the American Dream is out of reach for the