Poverty and the American Dream Essay - 2446 Words

Poverty and the American Dream Research Paper Final Draft Jeffery White English 101 Section 7 December 20,2012 The American Dream has driven many people for a long time. The dream has been presented in Hollywood movies showing a family or person striving to succeed in America. When the dream is mentioned it is done so as a powerful symbol inspiring a whole nation of immigrants. However, the â€Å"Dream† is misleading because it implies there is only one rather than many. Moreover, there are many perceptions of the American Dream and its fulfillment depends on culture, age and citizenship. This misperception of the American Dream has led to the downfall of many immigrants who came in search or pursuit of the American dream. For example†¦show more content†¦They show that you can come to America and achieve greatness by doing a little. They have to wear designer clothes and in a suburban home. This view is sometimes defined as: â€Å"A delusion, an illusion meant to keep people dissatisfied and hungering to spend more money, in the hopes that the next purchase will be the one that buys them the happiness they are promised. What no one told our framers is that happiness isnt a commodity. It is something that is internal, easily found, and free of charge. Happiness and the reality of the American dream are found in abandoning the false dream, and creating one of your own. Understanding that all the trappings of Western culture are props in a badly acted movie, and that you can throw their script away and make one of your own is a liberating experience. It is possible to have a wonderfully rich and fulfilling life without designer clothes, a wedding register, minivan, suburban house, or even a TV (Johnson, 2001).† This delusion does not only prevent you from societies true identity, but leads to the downfall of a person. â€Å"For an immigrant the American dream is to achieve economic wellbeing and good quality of life through hard work and perseverance. As well as, the aspect of family and emotional and physical wellbeing.† (Van de Rijt, 2008). Even though this is the view of many immigrants, they are hindered to achieve that success. One has to ask themselves this question: How can immigrantsShow MoreRelatedPoverty And The American Dream919 Words   |  4 PagesIn 2000, the poverty rate among children was 16.2% (Reef 253)! Poverty is a relevant issue that isn t going away. It s ruining minds and lives at the same time. Poverty changes how people view the American Dream, achieve the American Dream, and even affect how people s brains work and develop. With all of the media s hatred of poor people, it must affect their self-confidence and how they view the American Dream. Through her experience, Jennifer Mayer has noticed that very problem. While workingRead MorePoverty And The American Dream933 Words   |  4 Pages42% of kids born in poverty will not get out. Today, more Americans are falling below the poverty line and are struggling trying to find a way to get out. The Inequality gap in America has increased for the past few decades. Resulting from Economic Inequality in America, 400 Americans share more than 50% of America’s total wealth. These 400 Americans are the Top 1%. While the Top 1% are living luxurious lives, the Bottom 99% is struggling to make ends meet. Inequality is nothing new to the UnitedRead MorePoverty and the American Dream4620 Words   |  19 Pagesâ€Å"The American Dream† as defined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes the opportu nity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. Truslow states life should be worse and poorer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of IndependenceRead MorePoverty And Chances Of Accomplishing The American Dream Essay1239 Words   |  5 PagesLewis Teofil Husar ENG-111 11/30/16 Poverty and Chances of Accomplishing the American Dream. Everyone has heard of the American dream but is it even achievable? As the years go on, many children are born into poverty and stuck with the possibility of not making it out of the lower class. â€Å"The nations official poverty rate in 2015 was 13.5 percent, with 43.1 million people in poverty, 3.5 million fewer than in 2014. The 1.2 percentage point decrease in the poverty rate from 2014 to 2015 representsRead MoreWage Crisis By Michael Maher : Money, Power And The American Dream : Why Poverty?1189 Words   |  5 Pageswhen the future actually comes. The films Wage Crisis by Michael Maher; Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream: Why Poverty? by Alex Gibney; and The Secret of Oz by Ben Still, are some of the films that highlight the future or work and the how the wages and economy are really affecting those who are looking for work and trying to work towards a common goal – achieving the American Dream. Throughout this review, these movies will be compared to t he content that have been covered in the FutureRead MoreEssay on Poverty and Sociology1344 Words   |  6 Pages2 million people were considered poor. The nation’s poverty rate rose to 15.1 percent, whereas in 2009, 14.3 percent of people in America were living in poverty (Censky, 2011). That is an increase of 2.6 million people in 2010. In the United States, the federal poverty line – an absolute measure of annual income – is frequently used to determine who is categorized as poor (Ferris Stein, 2008, 2010). Currently the government defines the poverty line as an income of $11,139 for an individual and $22Read MoreThe American Dream : The Myth Of The American Dream1296 Words   |  6 PagesThe Myth of The American Dream   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Over the years immigrants have come to America in hopes of achieving their dreams and finding success. But is America really what it’s thought to be? Can their American   dream become a reality?   Everyone in America has the dream of achieving success and wealth through their own hard work and determination. But due to the vicious cycle of poverty most are unable to achieve their American Dream.   The cycle of poverty in America is affected by many factors includingRead MoreEssay on How Debt Affects Americans822 Words   |  4 Pagesstruck by debt, they might have trouble recovering. Debt can cause Americans to lose their homes and stability they need to feed, and shelter their families. Although debt comes upon us Americans quickly, people can see debt as terrible thing to be stuck with. It has many disadvantages that can devastate to people. Within debt there are subtopics that can be debated. We have the poor and the people who are living in poverty. Poverty is seen as a big problem within America. â€Å"It is defined as the stateRead MoreThe Poverty Of The United States1486 Words   |  6 Pageslegally and socially poor in the United States tend to stay in a cycle through life, not always by choice, but because they are given less opportunities, education and tools to achieve their success. The poverty stricken class has a significantly larger income gap than the upper class, the American Dream is weakened through opportunity and is shown through statistics. Inequality exists and is high in America due to the amount of income and wealth that is distributed through power. In America the incomeRead MoreThe American Dream : The American Dream1014 Words   |  5 Pages The American Dream. The American Dream is made up of many different aspects and ideas. Like moving up the social , escaping poverty , freedom ,equality , pursuing our interests and passions , opinions and safety. Most of the dreams are different for an individual depending on their situation. Poverty is a struggle in life. Not having enough to eat , not having heat and shelter. For the kids , life in poverty is much tougher to overcome than those who already have help with wealth.