My American Dream
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My American Dream
The good old American dream, a concept that is older than the United States itself. The basic essence of the idea is that, with enough grit and backbone, one day you will overcome poverty and enjoy the luxuries of wealth. The concept of the American Dream has always been scrutinized and debated on. The American society belittles the idealistic goal of the American Dream with huge contradictions such as class, race, and ethnic origin. This questions the attainability of the dream for everyone.
The U.S. is one of the largest economies in the world but even the strongest economies struggle sometimes. The article “Economic Recession” stated that economists declared the U.S. was in a recession from 2007 to 2009. It was the largest economic slump since the Great Depression in the 1930’s (Economic Recession). Our generation faces the same hopeless wall that stood before us during the Great Depression. It is economic roller coasters like these that spoil our ability to achieve the dream. Say you graduated with a degree in dental hygiene and failed to secure employment. You would work at the grocery store to pay the bills, right? Running around a store for hours and hours takes grit, being underemployed takes backbone. Many people believe the American Dream equates prosperity to happiness, but I feel happiness is not so simple.
We need to be forced to accept a loss of meaning to earn something more meaningful. Perhaps our generation should redefine what the American Dream means. For our generation to forge a new, meaningful understanding of the American Dream we need to no longer be stereotypical Americans working to find a bigger house, have a nice car, and pay off debt. Enormous amounts of people sacrifice a lot of time to make money. “The American dream is too focused on money and materials rather than the more important things in life,”(Thomma1). Time is greatest form of currency. To redefine the dream, we must start by redefining our priorities- time should come before money, children before business, and people over stereotypes. We need to place less value on possessions, money, and even education to an extent. We must create a balance of what is truly important in life.
The American Dream was founded by people who came to this country in search of better opportunities and happiness for their families. These basic principles give you an understanding of what the