The American Dream

Image of myself 

The reason I put an image of myself is because to me I am the definition of the "American Dream". Personally the American Dream connects to me on a personal level because my parents migrated here about 30 years ago for the specific reason of them wanting their children to live the American Dream. The American Dream does not only apply to foreigners, it also applies to any family who has been living in the United States for centuries. Anyone can live the American Dream. The purpose of it being called the American Dream is to express that anyone who has the opportunity to be in this country should take advantage of the opportunities that are available to them. The American Dream is to be successful in whatever scale fits you. Being successful is different for everyone, one does not have to grow up to be rich in order to be successful. For example, in a lot of hispanic households getting a high school diploma and then going into the work force lives up to the parents standards of the American Dream. Hispanic parents migrate to the U.S. in order for their children to get an education, even at least a high school diploma. Why? because back in their country it is hard to even get kids to graduate elementary school due to low income or having to work at such a early age. Hate is a strong word but I hate when people try to go against hispanics saying that "Americans" should be able to live the American dream as well. The irony is ridiculous, hispanics come to this country and take advantage of any opportunity that is thrown at them regardless if that means cleaning toilets on a daily basis. People are right "Americans" should live the American Dream as well, one should take any thing that is thrown at them and learn to work up from there. Everyone has to start somewhere regardless of class, color, or race. Being a first generation in this country I will make sure to take advantage the American Dream by taking in any opportunity that I am willing to take and by appreciating that I am in a place where there is freedom compared to other country's where there is freedom from and not freedom to. 

To me the definition of wealth is the state of being able to live stable but still have the ability to save for later. Wealth to me is not living pay check by pay check. When someone is wealthy that person is finically stable and is able to give themselves luxury. To me, wealth is something I think of as if your parents are wealthy you'll be wealthy and you are wealthy your children will be wealthy and so on, a continuous process. For reason I also tend to think of wealth as smart, those who were smart with their money. They invested or they spent their money in something that will benefit them in the years to come for not only them but for their family as well. 

Americans attitude towards wealth and poverty is a very touchy subject, there is a big gap between the upper and lower classes in my opinion. Those in poverty are not paid attention to. This is because they are automatically profiled to be "lazy" or "criminals". Poverty is never discussed about in America. In my opinion we as Americans help out so many other places and sometimes forget that we should help ourselves before helping others. Kids in poverty in America lack a lot of resources, and sometimes those who are wealthy fail to see that because they can not put themselves in the shoes of those in poverty. Tying it back to the American Dream, America as a whole needs to pay more attention to those in poverty because they too are a part of the American Dream and they too deserve to have many opportunities, just because they are not foreigners does not mean they are struggling, growing up in that economy is very hard to think that you'll be able to get yourself up.