I hope the American Dream does exist, however, I am doubtful. I teach English to Refugees from Africa and the most common response I get from them is that they work so hard just to pay their bills and buy food. They never see their families and they always feel strapped. They hoped to come here for a better life, a different chance than what they had. They too, felt their lives here would be different and indeed they are different, but not like they anticipated.
We all have hopes of rising up and making a name, a place for ourselves. Perhaps we’re not meant to. Perhaps the American Dream is a fallacy, a myth. I think, often, that our pursuits would be better served helping those that surround us. Building strong ties in family and community, maybe that’s what the REAL American Dream was intended to be… and that I believe is possible.

The American Dream is real and any one can become something that they want. There are tons of people who have been able to come from nothing and now own a house in the Hamptons. But as wonderful as that is, there are still thousands of people who are Americans that will never be able to get out of their life and into a new one. For example, people living in inner cities with low paying jobs, high crime, and many drug problems will never be able to break away from that life style, and not because they do not want to but beause they just can't. The poor, for the most part, stay poor and the rich get richer. Our country still has a lot of work to do but for how long is has been a country, not nearly as long as any European country, it is doing extremly well. It is said that most very poor and uneducated Americans will not ever be able to reach the American Dream, but it still is possible.

For the record, I agree with the previous entries. As a devil's advocate, I would like to introduce the idea of how many hours of work are beneficial...Once upon a time, there was a mandated "day of worship", or "day of rest" which was about spending time with community and family instead of at labor. Once upon a time, fierce debates ensued over hours of labor. Now, to capsulate the idea, we are happy that convenient neighborhood stores operate 7 days a week, and many jobs are rewarded by working overtime (stock brokers and publishing professors included). There is no longer a time set aside for everyone to interact as a family unit, nevermind interacting with your neighbors or community. It's pretty tough to co-ordinate schedules for group class projects,in my experience. The American Dream didn't allow for the dissolution of the religious community to such an extent that it disolved all ties which linked us as democratic citizens to each other as neighbors. How well do you know your neighbors? How much time are you and your family spending together? We may prefer to avoid these things for all kinds of reasons, but how does all this voluntary labor(to get cable or cellphones or job security?) ultimately affect our status as citizens? How well are we able to negotiate the immediate realities of our political system if we do not know or have time with the intricate realities of diplomacy intra-family or neieghborhood? Once upon a time, the American Dream excluded everyone but white men that owned property, and it took a long time and the Civil War etc., etc. to change the way everyone thought about it...Are you sure the metanarrative doesn't influence you, especially if you'd never thought about such a thing before?

The American Dream originated from possiblity and freedom. Anything is possible and it is our right to try and attain these possiblities though equality and hard work. While these values encompass the myth of the American Dream our history of independence which has come to be through war and prosperity prove that it is a cause worth fighting for. Drawing a comparison between the class system in America to countries such as Poland which is just now beginning to develop a social foundation after the fall of communism is like comparing a Ben and Jerry's ice cream sundae to brussel sprouts.
America is a powerful country, but that does not mean we don't have our share of hardships. It is simply a matter of where we are focusing our energy. Poverty and unemployment are just as rampant here as many other countries, but unfortunately we have been using our power on other things instead of solving the class matters.

I was unable to see all of the flashy interactive pages at the site but I got the general idea from the articles. There is a widening gulf between the upper and lower class.
So what do i think about the American Dream? I believe that the ideology serves a purpose. It keeps people working. Do I think that everyone has an a equal shot at getting the home, picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a personal trainer? No. On the other hand, social mobility does exist here. Say what you will about meritocracy but college enrollment is at a record high. More and more first generation college goers are graduating.
Compare America with say, India, where the formal Caste system is still in place and social mobility is unheard of. If you are born a street cleaner, you will undoubtedly die a street cleaner. Or what about China, where everybody has a job and a home? But forget having an opinion. Forget joining a grassroots political organization, or rehearsing subversive rock music with your band in the garage. Look at Yemen, where women are viewed as a commodity - similar to livestock. Fathers look forward to girls reaching puberty so that they can be sold or traded into marriage with men more than twice their age. What about Thailand, where the poor are forced to eke out a living by selling their children, their bodies, and their labour in unregulated sweatshops? I could continue ad infinitum.
In America, the people of lower socio economic levels are suffering. Hunger is the same here as it is in Sudan. Equality is not a reality yet but at least we are given the right to protest. Here we can organize, gather, fight to end social and economic inequality. That too is the American Dream - that our opinions matter and that there are legislative possibilities to combat the problems we face as a nation. Who could forget the groundbreaking New Deal? Or the progressive establishment of Social Security (to protect the young the old and the ill?). Presidents like FDR, Kennedy, LBJ and Clinton have worked hard to protect and improve the lives of the poor. The mythology of the American Dream is historically significant and represents an optimism unique to the US. Things can always improve here and I am guessing that they will.

Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)