Written by Clara Jain
The ideal American Dream is one of the core American beliefs that anyone, regardless of race, religion, background, or gender, can achieve success, climb up the social ladder, and aspire to bigger and greater things. Even one born into poverty can prosper through pure ambition, reaching self-fulfillment or materialistic desires. America’s free-enterprise system grants all of its citizens this opportunity and promise; however, critics have surfaced over the decades, claiming that the American Dream cannot be attained by just anyone. Discrimination is at fault, obstructing the ideal version of the American Dream. My hope for the future of America is for the American Dream to be achievable by anyone through hard work, and their own definition of happiness, regardless of defining factors like race or gender.
Sacrifice, risk, time; they’re all factors that go into hard work. It is important to recognize that in our society, one is rewarded with an endless amount of opportunity. However, it is only with hard work, that one can get something out of it. Take Alexander Hamilton, for example. He went from an orphaned immigrant to one of the framers at the Constitutional Convention, to the face on our ten dollar bill, to a famous historical figure (who’s getting his much deserved attention in Broadway, by the way). There was no limit to his success; he rose from a background of mental abuse and loneliness, stuck on a little island, and ultimately ended up becoming one of America’s founding fathers. Even though Hamilton was an American Immigrant, he displayed the American Dream astonishingly. He still inspires many today, with his non-stop attitude and a passion for writing. I hope that anyone can achieve the American Dream, through hard work like Hamilton displayed.
The ideal American Dream varies from person to person; for some, it may be the feeling of self-actualization, or perhaps it means being submerged in riches. Whatever the view, anyone and everyone should have the opportunity to reach their version of the American Dream. In the Declaration of Independence, it is written, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” In our society, which stresses greatly upon these ideas, anyone can live happily and freely to any extent that he or she wishes. The American Dream allows one his or her own independence, and the freedom to an endless possibility; it offers the freedom to express or hold one’s own values or beliefs, regardless of whether or not those principles are generally accepted or agreed upon nationally. I hope that the American Dream can be aspired by anyone, specific to their idea of happiness.
Conclusively, my hope for the future of America is for the American Dream to be pursuable by anyone, heedless of the individual’s race, gender, ethnicity, etc.. The American Dream should be acquirable through one’s willingness to put in effort, and his or her idea of happiness. With nothing but acres and acres of dirt, in the aftermath of the Revolution, America planted its seeds in the ground. We grew, and we created the core American values, along with the American Dream. I hope that we can preserve this dream for generations to come, and encourage it for aspiring Americans.
Clara Jain is a 16 year old blogger and artist from Texas. She has an (admittedly unhealthy) obsession with Gossip Girl and Jessie, boba tea, and Apple's smile-tear emoji. She loves to spend hours on Netflix (it's never too late to start a binge!) or reading books whenever she can.
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