The American Dream

By: Anahi Chacon, Stephanie Barrientos, and Alejandro Jara.

The American Dream is still alive and it can be done with an idea, hard work, and

determination. You don't necessarily need to be born in the U.S. to achieve it although

that’s what many people think. The American Dream can be interpreted in many ways.

Our definition of The American Dream is freedom and equality for all no matter what your

race, skin color, or ethnicity is. The American Dream is achievable if you put

determination into it, for many just being in the U.S. is a part of The American Dream.

For example, many people come to the U.S. searching for opportunities to better their

lives.

On our excursion to Downtown Denver we interviewed a homeless man named

Shaun. He truly believes in the American Dream and for him this is what it means, “ The

old school American Dream is life and the pursuit of happiness. You can pursue

whatever your dreams are but the dream is getting harder to achieve each day. The way

that it used to be was you could start at a very low point then climb a ladder to reach

your goal.” Opportunities are minimizing for those who are seeking them; the poor get

more poor and the rich get more rich. Is The American Dream still alive? Shaun believes

in The American Dream but feels like it is slowly going away.

This man, from England, was asked how he pictured The American Dream. His

response was the typical stereotype that many have of America, “ Lifting yourself out of a

lower class. The American Dream is your wife, the kids, the house, and the happy
environment. ” The American Dream for him means living a happy life and achieving your

goals.

Paul and Martha, two American citizens, believe in The American Dream as well.

Paul defines it as, “Enough money to feed my family, make things better for my kids than

it was for me. I'm lucky because I was born in the U.S, so I already get the privilege to

achieve The American Dream.” As you can see many already have the advantage of the

American Dream. Having a stable job and succeeding to make your family happy is a part

of getting to the American Dream.

Martha states, “The American Dream to me means the viewpoint of people that

live outside of the United States. People look at America and think, ‘Oh they can do

everything.” The American dream can mean many things to people. Martha interprets
the American Dream as having the freedom to do anything. Being born in the U.S. is a

privilege you get which makes the American Dream more reachable.

Michael questions if the American Dream is achievable, “ Is there even a dream

anymore? Our rights are slowly getting taken away. Happiness and freedom is key to

achieving your dreams, but it is becoming more difficult.” Freedom Riders back in the

1900s fought for equality, a step that would get African Americans closer to following

their dreams. Today that dream for some is fading away, but if you are determined your

dreams can be accomplished.

 This man, making his way on the streets of Denver by selling newspapers, said,

“It’s obtainable, there is hope. Yes, it’s achievable.” “We live in the greatest country in

the world. There are only a few other countries that you can compare the U.S. with.

Where else are you going to be able to have your liberty and your freedom? The

American Dream can mean anything, to myself it means just to be happy, to have a

comfortable life here in America without any worries.” As you can see the American

Dream is only existent in the U.S. People that migrate here are seeking opportunities

and a better lifestyle than the one they were living in.

We all have different definitions and opinions on The American Dream. Our

definition is equal rights and no discrimination no matter where you come from. From the

interviewees, we can say that the majority of people think that The American Dream is

the ability to sustain a well being for their families and their self. What are you doing to
achieve your American Dream?

Bibliography:

● "Voting Rights - Civil Rights History Project." ​The Library of Congress​. N.p., n.d.

Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

a. The central idea of this article is the voting rights in the late 1800s. It explains the

new laws that passed which restricted African Americans the right to vote. Voting

was one of the dreams that African Americans were trying to acquire. It was

difficult to achieve the American Dream at the time since many injustices were

taking place.

b. The Library of Congress is a reliable website and experts have contributed to the

website.

c. This source illuminates my topic because it is a primary source giving exact facts

that help explain our definition of The American Dream. It shows how voting

rights were a part of the American Dream for African Americans in the late 1800s.

● Janken, Kenneth R. “The Civil Rights Movement: 1919-1960s.” Freedom’s story;

Teacherserve. National Humanities center. 9/30/15.

a. The main Idea of these images is to show the way that people fought for civil

rights in the late 1900s. Some of the pictures show the passion that students

protest for equal education. One of the other pictures shows Rosa Parks sitting in

the front part of the bus where only whites were allowed.
b. This website is a credible source because it has primary sources and it states

facts. It is not biased.

c. This source illuminates my topic by giving a visual of what the American Dream

meant to people who fought for civil rights.

● Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre. "Detroit's Beautiful, Horrible Decline." ​TIME​.

N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

<http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1882089_1850974,00.html>.

a. This photo essay shows the abandoned places in Detroit. It gives you an insight

view of the way that people take things for granted.

b. This website is a credible source because they use primary sources and facts

instead of their opinion.

c. This source illuminates my topic because it is a great example of what a photo

essay is. We used this photo essay as a reference to create our own.

● “Freedom Group Hang Signs on Bus.” Library of Congress. N.p., 1961. web.

Sept-Oct. 2015.

a. This photograph was taken in 1961, showing members of the “Washington

Freedom Riders Committee” protesting against segregation.

b. The Library of Congress is a reliable source because experts have made it. Also

they use primary sources which are credible.

c. This primary source illuminates my topic because it’s a great representation of

what it means to follow The American Dream. The people in the image were

fighting/protesting to stop segregation.

● "​The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom." ​Library of Congress​.

N.p., n.d. Web.

a. This short passage explains how civil right activist convinced the congress to pass new

laws that would give them more freedom. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 granted people

with the right to vote. Activists were somewhat successful because they gained some

rights, but not all.

b. The Library of Congress is a reliable source because it is not biased and it uses primary

sources.

c. This source illuminates my topic because it is a representation of what it means to strive

for your American Dream. It shows the struggle that you can come across when trying to

achieve your dreams.

● "Edward Albee, Half-length Portrait, Standing beside Poster for His Play "The

American Dream"" ​The Library of Congress​. N.p., n.d. Web

a. This image shows Edward Albee, an American playwright. He wrote the play “The

American Dream” which focuses on an American family who,s life gets change. It

focuses on what America really is.

b. This website is a credible source because the image used is a primary source and also

The Library of Congress are experts.

c. This source illuminates our topic because it connects to our ideas. We could use this

source to represent our claim which makes it look more credible.

● "Voting Rights - Civil Rights History Project." ​The Library of Congress​. N.p., n.d.

Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

a. This source explains how voting rights were denied. People protested against the

unjust laws that the government passed. African Americans that tried to vote
 were threaten. People in The Civil Rights Movement encouraged African

Americans to run as candidates.

b. The Library of Congress is a reliable source because it uses facts.

c. This source illuminates my topic because I can use these facts to support my

thesis. Also the short stories provided in this website are a representation of the

the different ways that people interpret The American Dream.

● "Youth in the Civil Rights Movement." ​Library of Congress​. N.p.1960. Web

a. The central idea of this source is to show how in the 1960s, The civil Rights

Movement not only had adults protesting,but teenagers and children as well.

They protested in these violent marches to make a change. They were aiming for

a better future in the U.S.

b. This source is reliable because it’s an expert resource. Also the stories told

come directly from the person that lived it which means no fake events were

added.

c. This source illuminates my topic because it has a variety of representations o n

the American Dream. It provides events from the 1960s of people following their

American Dream.

● "[Composite of Four Photographs Relating to the Civil Rights Movement during

the 1950s and 1960s]." ​The Library of Congress​. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2015.

a. This image shows African Americans speaking out against injustice. They are

protesting for their rights trying to achieve change. There is also an image of

when Rosa Parks sat at the front of the bus where only whites were allowed to sit.
b. This source is credible because it is an image taken at the time when the event

was happening. The Library of congress is an expert and not biased.

c. This source illuminates my topic because it relates to what people think the

American Dream is. It is a visual representation of those following their American

Dream.

● "What Is the 'American Dream' Today?" ​Mprnews.org​. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://www.mprnews.org/story/2012/03/19/daily-circuit-american-dream>.