The Unachievable American Dream (add hook) The American Dream is the idea that all people should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and happiness through hard work and dedication. In the 1940s and 50s, the American Dream was measured by your possessions, the drive to be successful was from a materialistic point of view. There are some that say the modern day American Dream is now based on one’s stability. Things such as a stable job, a nice house, a spouse and family are thought to be sought after more than ever in this day. Because of the differences in circumstances and institutionalized oppression, the American Dream is not achievable for all people. Lloyd Newman and LeAlan grew up in an environment that embodied all that is dangerous about grouping poor people in a small, isolated environment.
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Throughout Our America, it is shown how from a very young age, children start to lose hope in a stable future, even if it is unconsciously. A young neighborhood drug dealer, George, says, “I ain’t gonna be alive in ten years because I'll be selling drugs and they're gonna pop my ass. No one’s gonna be alive in twenty more years!” (Jones and Newman 45) George has learned to be hopeless because of the unrelenting disadvantages he faces; he sees no way out of his current situation. This despondent attitude is portrayed in Robert Creeley’s poem; he says, “This is a heartless, hopeless song. This is an empty, useless song” (Creeley 1). This mindset is one that many people stuck in poverty have, because there is no way to get out of the cycle of continuous privation. Lloyd and LeAlan are also constantly surrounded by gangs, drugs, and violence, Lloyd says, “if you take a kid from a suburban area, no matter what race, and you take a kid from a ghetto area, who sees the things that people do to survive--I mean the raw things: steal, shoot, kill, shoot drugs to get a high; and the kid in the suburban area who has people who live in nice homes, washrooms work, doesn't have to worry about anyone breaking in all the time, not hearing shooting everyday. If you put these two kids together, you'll see a dramatic difference” (Jones and Newman 43). Lloyd goes onto explain the differences between these two childhoods; one will become more angry, one will have the skills to communicate through situations. One will have a short temper, get frustrated easily, and one will be more sensitive, a focused student. These quotes show the hopelessness of people born in inadequate circumstances, and the differences between the upper and extreme lower class. Disagreeing with Creeley, Brandon King takes a different stance on the American Dream. Brandon King alternatively believes that the American Dream is reachable for all, if only they work to overcome their circumstances. He explains that a 2009 New York Times survey found that “72 percent of Americans still believed it was possible to start poor, work hard, and become rich in America,” (King 611). This quote illustrates that the majority of Americans believe that the American Dream is achievable for all people, if they work diligently. This is not true. This state of mind comes from a privileged upbringing. It is not a matter of insufficient labor when white people’s applications are granted higher priority than possible people of color because they have an ethnic sounding name. This is internalized racism, something that white people never have to be concerned about, but makes a momentous impact on the lives of POC. Discrimination in the context of hiring also includes ableism, sexism, and fear of people with different religious and cultural affiliations. Xenophobia is prominent in today’s society, as Muslims may be less likely to be hired in this day and age of paranoia, and most recently with the Syrian refugees. This prejudice towards certain minorities is illustrated in Our America. Lloyd and LeAlan live in Ida B. Wells, and most of their peers will have no chance of ever moving. Extremely poor and filled with crime, in the 1980s and 90s, Ida B. Wells is stuck in a state of impoverishment. This is because economic progress does not hit all people equally, when white people’s standard of living advances, this growth does not reach all people. There is a
Throughout Our America, it is shown how from a very young age, children start to lose hope in a stable future, even if it is unconsciously. A young neighborhood drug dealer, George, says, “I ain’t gonna be alive in ten years because I'll be selling drugs and they're gonna pop my ass. No one’s gonna be alive in twenty more years!” (Jones and Newman 45) George has learned to be hopeless because of the unrelenting disadvantages he faces; he sees no way out of his current situation. This despondent attitude is portrayed in Robert Creeley’s poem; he says, “This is a heartless, hopeless song. This is an empty, useless song” (Creeley 1). This mindset is one that many people stuck in poverty have, because there is no way to get out of the cycle of continuous privation. Lloyd and LeAlan are also constantly surrounded by gangs, drugs, and violence, Lloyd says, “if you take a kid from a suburban area, no matter what race, and you take a kid from a ghetto area, who sees the things that people do to survive--I mean the raw things: steal, shoot, kill, shoot drugs to get a high; and the kid in the suburban area who has people who live in nice homes, washrooms work, doesn't have to worry about anyone breaking in all the time, not hearing shooting everyday. If you put these two kids together, you'll see a dramatic difference” (Jones and Newman 43). Lloyd goes onto explain the differences between these two childhoods; one will become more angry, one will have the skills to communicate through situations. One will have a short temper, get frustrated easily, and one will be more sensitive, a focused student. These quotes show the hopelessness of people born in inadequate circumstances, and the differences between the upper and extreme lower class. Disagreeing with Creeley, Brandon King takes a different stance on the American Dream. Brandon King alternatively believes that the American Dream is reachable for all, if only they work to overcome their circumstances. He explains that a 2009 New York Times survey found that “72 percent of Americans still believed it was possible to start poor, work hard, and become rich in America,” (King 611). This quote illustrates that the majority of Americans believe that the American Dream is achievable for all people, if they work diligently. This is not true. This state of mind comes from a privileged upbringing. It is not a matter of insufficient labor when white people’s applications are granted higher priority than possible people of color because they have an ethnic sounding name. This is internalized racism, something that white people never have to be concerned about, but makes a momentous impact on the lives of POC. Discrimination in the context of hiring also includes ableism, sexism, and fear of people with different religious and cultural affiliations. Xenophobia is prominent in today’s society, as Muslims may be less likely to be hired in this day and age of paranoia, and most recently with the Syrian refugees. This prejudice towards certain minorities is illustrated in Our America. Lloyd and LeAlan live in Ida B. Wells, and most of their peers will have no chance of ever moving. Extremely poor and filled with crime, in the 1980s and 90s, Ida B. Wells is stuck in a state of impoverishment. This is because economic progress does not hit all people equally, when white people’s standard of living advances, this growth does not reach all people. There is a