Does the American Dream still exist in 2022?
“The American Dream. The belief that America offers the opportunity to everyone a good and successful life achieved through hard work.” Throughout America’s history, this ideal has inspired hope in many people. It is a backbone of our nation, motivating millions to uproot their lives and immigrate to America. It has helped many get through difficult times in their lives by giving them something they can hope to achieve.
This aspiration is deeply rooted in the founding of this nation. Historically, immigrants sought refuge here to escape religious persecution, limited class mobility and many other restrictions. If one was willing to work hard they could, at least theoretically, build a successful life.
However, there is a flip side. For better or for worse, the American Dream finds its roots in individualism. It puts all the responsibility for achieving success on each American. And depending on one’s background the path to attain their dreams can be filled with varying obstacles. Since the founding of the nation, exploitation has been a major part of both politics and the economy. Many laborers suffered as those at the top reaped the rewards of their labor. It also cannot be ignored that the United States has a history of discrimination.
The U.S. has taken land from Native Americans, enslaved African Americans and committed many more atrocities. If it could make them money, there were no limits to their discrimination and exploitation they would perform. Even today, the impact of these past choices cannot be erased. They still influence America systematically, and our economy is still willing to exploit people for profit. Despite promises to offer equal opportunity, there have been countless times America’s government has fallen short in keeping them.
In 2022, politics are becoming more and more divisive. The times of finding common ground feel long gone. In all this chaos, where does the American Dream stand? Have politicians forgotten it? They seem content making promises about supporting it in their campaigns. However, this means very little without them taking any actual action to support it. It would be refreshing to see politicians make the changes necessary for the American Dream to be achievable for every American.
But is the American Dream even achievable in 2022? If we’re being honest, it has never been a true reality in this country. Perhaps, it’s achievable if you have the drive. Unfortunately, even then it is still not an even playing field and far from guaranteed. There are many setbacks still systematically holding individuals back and these issues are often deep-rooted, learned from our long history of exploitation. There will always be many individuals who face more obstacles on their path to success. However, the American Dream originated from those determined to achieve it no matter how hard they had to work. As much as politicians try to claim the term, it has never been theirs. The tradition of hard work belongs to the people, not to an institution.
No one has ever granted Americans equal opportunity to achieve their dreams. Instead, it is an ideal that we, the people, can strive towards. Each of us can choose to dedicate ourselves to taking the chance to make our dreams a reality. Even if that means we must fight for it or face it never coming true. That is the true spirit of this country: the generations of people who have worked against the odds to achieve great things. The U.S. is not a perfect place, but this tradition of hard work is something Americans can be proud of. The American Dream is simply a manifestation of all this.
Despite all the political upheaval, we can still have hope. For as long as the U.S. has existed there have always been corruption and contradictions that held our nation back from having equal opportunity. However, despite this so many have chosen to still take a chance on their ambitions. This is the true dream: having a goal, being brave enough to commit to it, and not losing sight of it despite the hard work along the way.
Our history can teach us that the heart of this nation has always lied with the people who were willing to give up so much for the chance to chase their dreams or to give their children that opportunity. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that anyone will achieve this. The road to attaining one’s dreams might not be easy or even fair. Yet like so many who came before us, we can attempt to overcome the obstacles. Or at the very least, there is a lot we can learn from all those who have fought for their aspirations. In both the past and present, the American Dream is daring to hope.