What Is The American Dream Essay

Improved Essays
The American Dream America has been known as the melting pot since the first immigrants arrived on Ellis Island in 1892. Modern American society accepts people from all different backgrounds, and gives them the unique opportunity to experience what many refer to as the American Dream. People of all races and ethnicities have been welcomed to America to achieve the American Dream ever since immigration started in 1892. However, the way our society has changed in the past century has affected the way that the American people interpret the Dream. Men, women, and young adults all have different outlooks on the dream, which is well within their rights. The history of the American Dream will always stay the same, especially for immigrants, but …show more content…
All sorts of immigrants from all around the world have come to America looking for a way to better their life, so why not prosper in the home of the free? The history of the dream for Americans and Immigrants relates back to how people were desperate to make something of themselves. Immigrants started coming over from other countries trying to make the Dream a reality for themselves. Some of these immigrants came over with nothing in their pocket, risking everything just to be able to live free and obtain the American Dream. For some immigrants achieving the Dream was the best thing they had ever accomplished. For example, Robert Herjavec is a primary example of how immigrants can live the American Dream. According to Business Insider, Mr. Herjavec said “his family left Croatia with one suitcase and $20 in hand. They lived for 18 months in a friend 's basement while they began rebuilding their new life in North America” (Weissman). As an immigrant, Robert Herjavec came to America and is now a real life example of an immigrant achieving the American dream, rising everything for a better life (Weissman). With everything he did, his attitude was always to, “ Give it his all and [he] would always be ready for the next adventure” (Weissman). Many immigrants, like Herjavec, continue to move to America to make a better life for themselves (Weissman). The one thing about the history of …show more content…
People in our society have the right to choose what type of impact they want to make in America. Different people interpret the American Dream in different ways, which makes it so that they can go after whatever they think is right for them. If society keeps the American dream in their mind, our nation can do big things, but only with a positive mindset. For example, according to an article from Huffpost Politics, “The fatal-flaw in the logic is that the American Dream is not a statistic or a trend, but a spirit” (Gillon). Mr. Gillon is trying to convey that our country cannot be based off statistics; if society wants to make something great of themselves then they can, but only through hard work and positive attitude (Gillon). The impact that the American Dream has on society is positive, because it gives individuals courage to try and achieve their Dreams (Gillon). Parents will continue to strive for the American Dream because they want a better life for their children(Gillon). The current day goal of the American Dream is still the same as it was in the nineteenth century, which is wanting a better life for you and your family and going out of your way to achieve it (Gillon). Mr Gillon states, “The dream is evolving, not dying” (Gillon). If Americans continue to believe the dream is dying, then they will no longer have the courage to try and achieve the American Dream (Gillon). The only way we

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    In Stephanie Watkins-Cruz's article, American Dream at Risk? When the American Dream Turns into American Need, she challenges the traditional idea of the American dream. Watkins-Cruz starts out by saying "if you work hard and remain focused, you can prosper"; which is a similar idea to the original American dream introduced by James Truslow Adams. However, she quickly states that this is not an idea that is seen throughout society. People tend to focus on their needs rather than working hard for their dreams.…

    • 358 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American Dream is a common goal that most immigrants strive for when coming to America. The American Dream consists of the ability to start a new life and to be whatever you desire along with the right to freedom. Everyone should be entitled to this dream, right? There were two main groups in America that had to fight for this ability, slaves and women. Black men and women were not given this right.…

    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American Dream is created by people who want to achieve success in their lives. Whether is it to be wealthy, further your education, make a better life for yourself, family, and generations beyond, or just overall being happy. The dream is what motivates people to work hard in life. Everyone wants to be successful, but does everyone have the access to achieve that goal? Pursuing opportunity is no longer the main focus of the American Dream but rather learning how to earn it then take hold of it.…

    • 481 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Many immigrants all over the world come to U.S every year to seek their American Dream, which is a national ethos of the United States. Moreover, the American Dream is used in a lot of ways but it essentially is a set of ideas that suggest that all people in the USA can succeed through hard work. Moreover, anyone has potential to lead a happy, successful life. A lot of people believe that rising social mobility and success is possible in the U.S for everyone due to the American economic and political system. James Truslow Adams in 1931 defined the American dream as: "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.”…

    • 1927 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Research Paper Outline Name: Brianna Bracey Class:__Red___ Introduction: Just after World War 1, the US experienced huge changes that involved all aspects of American life. The Great War left those with despair. To shake off the misery and shell-shock, young people broke away from traditional values and embraced all things modern and new.…

    • 1449 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many people never really understood why the American dream was so important. The American dream was made so that it can help many people in other countries come to the united states for prosperity and success, and children and their family to socialize more, achieved with many hard workers in such a society with few barriers. Few people may think the American dream still exist, but the American dream does still exist. Today, many people immigrate to the united states in search of the American dream. The American dream still exists because it’s the pursuit of prosperity and opportunity that drives people to push to their own limits and endure to start successful lives and achieve the goals they have set.…

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    American Dream Many immigrants come to America with hopes of achieving their dreams and living a successful life. “The American dream is the idea that everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve success that can be earned through hard work, determination and inicative.” People are beginning to question whether the American dream is still achievable. The American dream is no longer available to everyone.…

    • 763 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A lot of immigrants left huge cities in the east to find happiness and for inalienable rights. These immigrants came looking for their freedom, happiness and their dreams. The American dream can be attainable by all Americans as long as they set their mind to it and work really hard for it. Most people think that the American dream is to work more hours, get their dream cars, houses for their families, but don’t have that much time to enjoy all their treasures in life. Others say the American dream is not to work as much but get payed well.…

    • 343 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    There are many opportunities in the great nation of the United States of America. When you are born in America, or come to America you soon realize that there are many more opportunities in this country than any other. Americans have a way about them, they have a certain cockiness that can 't be surpassed. The way they walk around and hold themselves is even egotistical. Americans think of themselves as the better people, they not only think they are better than you, they know they are better than you.…

    • 1019 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Immigrants also come to be successful some want to go to school and they want to be something big in life like a doctor,engineer or an artist. The american dream has changed over the course of history. To have a good life and be wealthy you have to work hard. Working hard makes u achieve…

    • 1713 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Recent studies have showed that immigrants from around the world see the “American Dream” vaguely different than an average American. We as Americans see the American dream as a life of luxury, becoming president or having more women’s rights. For immigrants, this isn’t exactly the case. Immigrants from all over the world believe that the overall “American Dream” consists of mainly two different things, freedom and equality. This is a big thing that draws immigrants to America.…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the history of America, people have traveled here with the mindset that they will become rich and prosperous. This idea is often associated with the American dream; moreover, people believe that this concept of the American dream is easily achievable. Today, the Dream has drastically changed; however, it is achievable if a person works hard, knows what they want to accomplish, and is patient in accomplishing it. The whole idea of the American Dream is that a person can come to America with nothing and in turn they can become prosperous and wealthy by working hard and earning it.…

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American Dream isn’t just a simple dream. It’s a hope one has for not only their country, but for themselves as a hardworking US citizen. There are many different categories of people in which these dreams are aspired. Women, men, farmers, the lost generation are all capable of pursuing the American dream but each and every one displays their dreams in different ways.…

    • 1017 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Most people, if not all in the US always want to live the American dream at some point in their lives. But the question is, what is the meaning of the American dream, and how can people achieve this vague and elusive realisation? The American dream is a national philosophy or a belief that specifies the ideal factors such as democracy, freedom, rights and equality that accords every citizen equal opportunity to prosper and achieve their set goals (Glenn, 2002). The foundation of the American dream is deeply rooted in the declaration of independence that assert that “all men are created equal”. In simple terms, the American dream eliminates the artificial barriers to prosperity and promotes upward social mobility for every individual in the US depending on their hard work irrespective of their, social, religious, historical and racial background.…

    • 1562 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The american dream is often characterized or described with luxuries and fame, although this is not the wrong approach to the infamous american dream, this is the dream of the citizens of this country. But if we take a different approach and ask immigrants what their american dream is, we discover a different perspective of the american dream. For many immigrants of the country , like myself, the american dream involves prosperity and the opportunity to reach higher education. The inevitable contrast between these two different approaches to the American dream create division within the country that leads to hate, stereotypes and constructed fear.…

    • 1235 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays