The Harsh Reality of the American Dream
The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of race or class, can obtain their own version of success, in a society where upward mobility is achievable for all. In theory, the American Dream is thought to be achieved through working hard, making sacrifices, and being a risk taker, rather than by luck. Originally coined by James Adams, the American Dream is defined as “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement." Although the American Dream has been advertised as something achievable for everyone, it is not a realistic goal for American minorities. White Americans are inherently predisposed to achieve the American Dream, due to the built-in privilege that comes with being white. It’s time for us to dismiss this unattainable goal created by society, and stop equating success with achieving the American Dream.
When people are able to achieve the American Dream, it is due to prior privilege or advantages in life, which make that act possible. More often than not, the average American struggles with achieving the American Dream, even more so if that American is part of a minority. It's particularly difficult for American minorities to achieve success when facing impediments of race or class. Black Americans do not have the same privilege as white Americans. The majority of white Americans are born into wealth, or “daddy's money.” This predisposed wealth is a privilege that a lot of Black Americans do not experience. Due to systematic racism, a majority of Black Americans are not inherently predisposed to succeed, making it virtually impossible for them to achieve the American Dream solely through hard work.
A huge part of this ideology is the concept of “pulling yourself up from your bootstraps,” which refers to achieving success by your own efforts through hard work. Although this phrase is tossed around frequently, it is extremely unrealistic. The actual act of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is physically impossible, yet is used as an expectation in our society. Yes, it is possible to independently achieve success without prior privilege, but it is rare. It’s more likely for people who made $200,000 when they were 3 years old, such as Donald Trump, will achieve the American Dream. It’s less likely for people making minimum wage and barely making ends meet to achieve the American Dream. Minimum wage workers are met with daily challenges that further deter them from achieving the American Dream. Living on minimum wage means sacrificing comfortability just to make ends meet. Americans making minimum wage can work as hard as humanly possible, but it ultimately won’t be enough to comfortably live, let alone achieve the American Dream.
The American Dream is ultimately a bullshit representation of success, and should not be praised and glamorized by society. This ideology praises people with privilege, and harms people without it. Our society has been set up to allow people with predisposed privilege to succeed, while doing nothing about the ones struggling. As these people become more successful and get closer to achieving the American Dream, more people are struggling to make ends meet. These struggling Americans are expected to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” which we know is an impossible act. The ideas behind the American Dream are extremely outdated, unrealistic, and dysfunctional. It’s time to leave these unattainable ideologies behind, and stop equating the American Dream with one's success.