The American Dream

In English class this past school year, one subject always stayed in the back of our minds, one phrase that we spent 18 weeks going back to, three words that mean so much - the American Dream. We talked about why different people came to America - religious freedom, freedom from war, the opportunity to start anew, and so on. That's why people still immigrate to America today.

I won't give you a lengthy lecture on why people from other countries come to America, or what they find here. I'm talking about what happens to the American Dream as time goes on. As their grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up.

My great-grandparents came to America for their own reasons. They came from Italy, Ireland, Slovakia, and further back, Germany and England. They cam for the opportunity to start a new life, prosper and give their descendants a life easier than their own.

Now look at me. I'm a middle-class, white, teenager living in suburbia with a sister, a dog, a cat, a picket fence and an above-ground pool in the backyard. This is only three generations or so later. Sure, my life is easier than that of my great-grandparents. Yes, this year is the first time my dad's had a full-time job since 2007, and yes, we've had to cut back since then.

Now imagine an immigrant coming to America for the chance of a new life. He would give anything to have a life like mine. The definition of the American Dream is the idea that everyone in the United States has the chance to achieve success and prosperity. (From Microsoft Encarta Dictionary.) Essentially, its being able to bring yourself up from nothing.

When asked what the American Dream is in English class, most of the class mentioned impossible fantasies, like marrying Kim Kardashian, or having a mansion in Beverly Hills. I wrote on the board "being able to bring yourself up from nothing." Guess who got points that day?

The American Dream is not dead. People still believe that they can make something of themselves, when they don't have much to start with. America gives people hope. And hope is the greatest thing you can give a person.