My Dad's Experience

My dad moved from Mexico to the US the summer before he started 1st grade. His family came to the US for a better environment and  the American Dream. After telling me his story, my dad told me that he does believe in the American Dream, because to him he achieved it. To him, the American Dream was going to college, career, marriage, house, and children.

When he first moved to the US, he didn't know any english, so he taught himself as much as he could had went to an english speaking public school. He told me it was hard because he was the student in class who didn't understand everything, he was the one with the darkest skin, and he had a thick accent. He was left alone for the most part but did have trouble with school at first. As time progressed he learned english and became top of his class with an IQ of 140, even though those first years of hardship. My dad met my mom before he graduated high school. He married her his junior year at USC. Right after graduation USC he got a well paying job and he had his first child, my brother, by the age of 28.

Coming from nothing and ending up with a career and a family is why my dad believes in the American Dream.

Redefining the American Dream

According to the National Endowment for Financial Education, the American Dream has been redefined by Americans. Rather than being about the cute house with the white picket fence, most adults in 2011 said that their American Dream is having enough money for retirement. The image below is the percentage of participants who said that the category was the way they defined the American Dream.

10 People Living the American Dream

This is a great article showing the hard work that people put in to pursue their dreams. All though there are many cases where the American Dream did not work for some people, it was successful for some as well. Also, these people are examples of Americans who made their dream come true.

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11173382/1/10-people-living-the-american-dream.html

Posted By: Taylor Hinds

Article on "Pursuing the American Dream"

I thought this was a great article talking about the definition of the American Dream and how individuals expect for everything to work out, but no matter how hard they work, the economy or someone can deny them of their dream. It's also great because it not only talks about the past issues with  the pursuit of the American Dream but also the future. This article is an excerpt from a book called Pursuing the American Dream by Cal Jillson.

http://smu.edu/smunews/americandream/excerpt.asp

Posted By: Taylor Hinds

American Dream and Opportunities

The American Dream is an opportunity of freedom and success that results in a better lifestyle. I asked my father if I could interview him for this piece because I know he left Ireland for a reason. My father grew up in Northern Ireland with two brothers and one sister.  From middle school and on, my father knew what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to pursue a career in medicine and set goals to achieve them. After he graduated from Queens University at Belfast, he worked for the British National Health Service where he realized he did not want to pursue his original goal of being a family practitioner. Once realizing this, he reevaluated what he wanted to do and how he was going to do it. In Ireland, if he wanted to change his practice, he had to wait several years until someone retired in order to pursue another field of your desire. He soon realized that the United States would be the place where he could successfully go into the field he wanted, as quickly as he could. In the U.S., you can retrain in the field you want and go into your private practice much quicker than in Ireland. 

            Opportunities in the workforce was not the only reason my father decided to immigrate to the United States. At this time in Northern Ireland, it was the height of “The Troubles.” This was a time when the IRA, terrorist group wanting to unite Ireland, and the British government were fighting over Northern Ireland independence. Southern Ireland at this time was independent, so the IRA wanted to unite Ireland as a whole by bombing Belfast, assassinating policemen and Catholics. Alongside this, the UVF, Ulster Volunteer Force, were fighting the IRA because they did not want independence. The British government, in the meantime, were fighting both of these organizations for complete control. Realizing the struggles he faced as a Catholic, he did not want to raise a family around this environment.

Reflecting on all of the reasons why the United States would be the best option, he told his family the news. With complete support, my father traveled thousands of miles to Phoenix, Arizona to work at the Internal Medicine Residency. He worked there for three years where he met his wife. Here, my dad studied Gastroenterology and took the next step of his career in Pittsburg at the University of Pittsburg for two years. Soon after, my father was able to join a private practice in Seattle, Washington where he lived and will live for the rest of his life. When asking my father, “why Seattle?” His response was, “reminded me of home.” One of the last questions I asked my father was, “Was it hard leaving your family behind knowing how close you were to them?”He responded, “ You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your father was.” Words from a true Irishman. My father never stopped until he reached his goal in life.

Written By: Taylor Hinds

The American Dream of non-Immigrants

After having talked to Mayra, a girl who emigrated to America from Mexico, I decided to talk to some of my friends who were born in America about the American Dream. Two of them identify as male, one as female, all three are white and they all identify as middle or upper-middle class. 

Evan

How would you define the American dream?

Being able to live comfortably. Doing a job that you love.

Is the American dream attainable?

Yes but not for everyone. The way that our country is structured I don’t think it’s very attainable for fresh, new immigrants into America. Because they’re making minimum wage or below minimum wage and people who work for minimum wage are not able to live comfortably, they have to work like four or five jobs.

Do you think it’s easier to attain the American dream if you were born in America?

Yes. And it’s also easier to attain the American dream if your parents were born in America.

What economic class would you identify yourself as?

Middle class.

Conner

How would you define the American Dream?

Oh God. Umm. The pursuit of happiness.

Is the American Dream attainable?

Yes. But with difficulty.

Do you think the American dream is more attainable if you were born in America?

Yes. Very much so. You are given citizenship by being born here. You naturally are able to pursue the American dream because you are inherently American whereas individuals born in other countries have to work very hard to become American.

Are you living the American Dream?

I believe so. Because I am pursuing happiness. I don’t know what that means but I am pursuing it. I am trying to be the most happy I can be in this life.

Do you equate money with happiness?

I equate basic living standards, having enough money for basic living standards as a source of happiness. Beyond that I don’t think much will make me happier than what I have today.

What economic class would you define yourself as?

Upper middle class.

Kari

What does the American Dream mean to you?

Not being told what to do. Not being told how to spend my money. Being able to walk outside and feel safe. Being able to travel within my country without having to give reasons for going there.

Do you think the American Dream is attainable?

I think it is, yeah.

In what ways do you think would make it unattainable?

Not getting thrown in jail, being put on parole, being a sex offender. Don’t screw up your life by doing something stupid.

Is any of it based on things you don’t choose?

I think you choose stuff for a reason so if you choose A over B your American Dream will just be with choice A rather than choice B. Based on your decisions, your American dream will be different. You will have to accommodate.

Are you living the American Dream?

Yeah I think so. I think I would be living it through my parents because I’m not completely independent, but I think to an extent yet.

What economic class would you identify yourself?

Probably upper middle class.

I thought I would get a different view on the American Dream from people who were born in America than from people who weren't. But I have noticed than most people in my generation believe the American Dream is attainable, though they all acknowledge that it is much easier for people born in America and people have a steady, comfortable income. 

I think this is what many Americans think about Mexicans coming accross the border