Something that has recently been bouncing around in my head is The American Dream. I heard someone on the radio asking if The American Dream still exists. I think that it does. However, I think that they were asking the wrong question. It should be: what is The American Dream for us?
The concept of The American Dream was born out of our Declaration of Independence. It in turn, was born out of the Enlightenment literature that men such as its writer, Thomas Jefferson, was familiar with. Ideas such as “life, liberty and property.” But wait, didn’t The Declaration of Independence say “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?” It did. Our independence didn’t come from Enlightenment writer John Locke’s notion of tying liberty to owning property but in that extra step of being able to define our own course.
So, at what point, did we forget this? At what point, did we start letting somebody or something else define our American dream? Think about this: when a politician or TV pundit talks about The American Dream, is it your dream that they’re talking about? More likely than not, they are using the “American Dream” as a dangling carrot-either trying to get your vote or trying to get you to tune in. Only you know your American Dream.
During these times when many of us have had to scale back, there are some, I’m sure, that nostalgically look back to those heady days when we could buy anything, anytime, anywhere. Consider the price of “keeping up with the Joneses.” The Joneses have probably overspent on their credit cards and their house is probably in foreclosure. The price of chasing some arbitrary vision that changes from second to second is never being happy. I agree in never settling but at what point do you find happiness?
For me, I don’t think that The American Dream is something destructive or dangerous. The American Dream isn’t something that causes me to make stupid decisions. The American Dream isn’t one that makes me feel inferior to other people. The American Dream is something that I aspire for and drives me to be successful. The American Dream is something that I decide. It’s not some crap that has been forced down my throat. Have I achieved my American Dream? No, but here’s where I have to still chase The Dream. One day, it will become reality. With each day, I get one step closer. I ask you if you’ve yet achieved your dream?
Author: José A. RodrÃguez
Photo: Renée Gonyeau
Jose, great article. I was just talking with my wife about this the other day. For me, being an immigrant to the U.S. and after being here for over 5 years, the American Dream goes hand in hand with the ‘Land of Opportunity’. After working in the automotive industry for 9 years and after several moves throughout the Midwest, picking up our lives and starting all over again in the next place, I’ve come to understand that the American Dream is not what I used to believe. The recent economic downturn has given me a new meaning of this ‘dream’.
It is not about working for somebody else for 30 (or more) years, hoping that the source will never run out and that a company will take care of you and provide for you and yours.
It is not about coming in here to have somebody else tell me how many hours am I going to work and when will I be able to see my family.
It is not about somebody else telling me if and when am I allowed to take vacation.
It is not about drowning in debt and barely making ends meet and losing sleep over whether my employer will dispose of me tomorrow.
It is not about somebody dictating the kind of house we are going to live in and the kind of life we are going to provide for our children and their children.
It is not about settling for what life throws at you and accepting that there is nothing greater.
For me is far greater than that. This country is filled with opportunity for ANYBODY that decides to grasp it and become SOMEBODY. The American Dream is about the FREEDOM we all have to take control over our lives and to live an abudant life.
Wow, what else can I say after how Victor responded. He pretty much summed it up for us. I agree with everything he said, and most especially your article Jose. For me, growing up, the American Dream meant status, property, position in life. It had to do with what you had that others did not have. Now, at my age, I realized that teh american dream is pretty much everything both of you posted. It’s about what resources you can use in this country to help you reach a point in your life where you are happy and content. Even if it means only making 35k a year, but you are working in something where you can make your own hours, time and at times work from home. If you want to work for a fortune 500 company or a soup kitchen, as long as you are happy with the choice you make, thats the American Dream. Being able to come onto a site like this, or facebook and say what you want to say, thats the American Dream..