Castaeda

Joshua Castaeda
Pro. Christopher Hurtado
9 December 2015
English 1010
American Dream
Why does the American dream mean to you? That is the question writers ask themselves, According
to the writers I researched they do have their own opinion about the American dream. The writers and singers that I
research were these journalist, and song writers that inspire me and disagree on some things that they said about the
American Dream here they are starting from Keli Goff (The daily beast journalist), James Truslow Adams, MKTO
(music band), Robert Putnam (Political Scientist), Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Krugman, Monica Potts (journalist), Edward
McClelland, Tim Roemer(former U.S congressman & ambassador), Shayan Zadeh (Entrepreneur), Brandon King
(student), and Gary S. Becker and Kevin M. Murphy. American dream is the focus of how we pursue life and the
struggles and experience us goes through to get where we are now. I learned so much knowledge about the American
dream, [and] how it affects other people around United States.

It is often said American Dream is being mistranslated among the thoughts of America. Even though
Americans today tend to believe that American dream is being portray as an idea of the high class society.
Many people assume that American dream is about having fancy cars and big houses. It has become
common today to dismiss American dream as achievement of life, but the song American Dream by
MKTO touch in depth on what is the American dream in todays world furthermore, their thoughts of
American dream is more than having a wife, kids, and a house with a white picket fence. I learn a lot about
American dream from MKTO how they see the truth of the meaning about the American dream and people
imagination on [the] American dream nowadays. Their video show some typical dreams how people view
American dream in a way of become inspire of pursuing what they want in life.

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Keli Goffs in her article "Perhaps nothing is more responsible for the lack of contentment plaguing
some Americans today than the outdated notion of the American Dream that has been peddled to all of us
for as we can remember....." I do agree with Kelis column about the American dream, sense I was growing
up I been hearing the saying about reaching the American dream. Another Keli pointed out in her column
that she cited USA Today, cited Key benchmarks for achieving, the American Dream notably home
ownership, educating two children, as well owning a good car....." This column I approve that there is a
certain benchmark that American dream is just currency to the high class society. Furthermore, when I was
growing up theres was so many nationality and culture that t came from different parts of the world and
their own form of definition of the American dream they all said to me that the American dream means
having educated children, fancy cars, big houses, and a lot of money to spend on whatever comes in mind.
Whether the thoughts people told back when I was a child, I still thought that the American dream will live
on in people minds to ponder what the purpose of their life. Wherefore, the American dream remains alive
in the minds within those people minds that come from diverse culture.

A famous quote the American Dream from 1940s quote says" The American Dream is 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...." by James Truslow Adams. James had very serious and excellent reason how
the American dream is all about even so Truslow wrote this quote back in the 1940s that the thought of the
American Dream was still young and fresh in peoples minds. I concur what Truslow is talking about in this
quote when says about the American dream is the land of a better and richer life to live, for example;
coming from my own experience my parents came from a country that had so much problems with the
government and the president. My parents heard from on e their friends America is the land dreams of
wonderful and fulfillment of your familys lives. These reasons I con cur of Truslows quote "It is not a
dream of motor car and high wages merely, but a dream in social order in which each man and woman shall
be able to attain to the fullest stature." I truly concur of he meant in this area of the quote he said about the

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attainment of the fullest stature because of this fullest stature come in nowadays that crosses by peoples
minds that makes people reach the too high class where is the rich people are living at. I do concur about
the American dream is another form of being high on the social status of society furthermore, the social of
this happens through the social media is addicted every hour of every day.
Robert Putnam wrote about his hometown of Port Clinton, Ohio that he wrote about his version of
the American Dream. This small town it was a place that had opportunity for the children of bankers but all
of that had change for so many years Putnam said that teens park their BMW convertibles in front of the
Port Clinton high school. Putnam also said use have the Junkers for the homeless students even all that the
American Dream turned into a split- screen nightmare his the His critique and those of others raise the
question of whether or not the American Dream, which has sustained us for so long, is truly in the trouble.
I thoughts exactly about Putnams reason that t he American dream for the younger generation is because
speak from that exact generation we that the American d ream is made for those has money to waste on
expensive cars this why Putnam thinks that American dream is state social stature. In the same area of
thinking is Paul Krugman he the wealthiest Americans can achieve the America n Dream instead of the
middle class. This goes way back to Keli Goff article that she said the only way to have a h igher income to
afford the American Dream and for that reason why people wonder if the American Dream is still alive
within their minds. I contradict of the what Keli and Paul said about the American dream being a matter of
hi gher wage and income to reach the American dream, contradiction made me ponder about the American
dream an d the people that views this dream as a get rich scheme to get too the high class of society.
For the journalist Monica Potts looks through the eyes of the woman that wants to achieve the
American Dr eam. The studies, or Potts did on the life expectancy is very low to for woman in the working
field or achieving the idea came with Monica. I concur about Potts about the American dream being a short
expectancy for women to a chieve that mark of the American dream because women works so hard to
achieve American dream, but at the end they never reach that exact dream, and the other hand and men
achieves the American dream quicker than women evermore men really dont work so hard to achieve the

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American dream. Sometimes, those is not case for some people and to my own family that showed the lack
of the education for the degrees of the working class citizen to achieve the American dream because of that
being that way those working class citizen get a lower income pay to sup port and to achieve the dream. I
contradict on what Edward McClelland discusses about the middle class declining the loss industrial jobs
and the average jobs in American, and way he puts the words that he said though several writers question
whether the dream of equal opportunity ever delivered for most American in the way.. McClelland
because of McClelland and Potts I contradict about the matter of the dream they only think about the cons
of American dream, if I was them I would have thought of the pros about the American dream.
Then heres Tim Roemer a former congressman that sees the points of people that comes to
American from another country expecting to find prosperity and a better life than they had in their own
country. Roemer said (a chance at prosperity for themselves and their families); I concur on what Roemer
thinks; because his thoughts go with my personal experience from my parents that came from a different
country to pursue the American dream. There are so many immigrants from around that come to America to
achieve the dream to provide a better life for their family or future family put it in another perspective.
Shayan Zadeh that his is an entrepreneur he knows what working for the American Dream is really achieve
Zadeh seen a lot of people coming from all parts of the world to achieve the prosperity of having the
American Dream. Zadeh and Roemer have the reason that still has meaning in the peoples minds. Zadeh
puts in the personal view of my parents experience coming to America to work towards the American
dream and to provide me and my brother and sister to give the proper education to someday achieve the
American dream on our own.
These are the writer and world leaders that have their own opinions and thoughts about the meaning
of the American Dream. These are the pros and cons of how the people think about the American Dream
and makes you ponder if the American Dream worth to save to teach it to the future generation show how
properly achieve the dream and live in prosperity and peace your family and friends and enjoying life to the

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fullest we can learn from these writers, musicians, world leaders, and journalist from all of their quotes,
music lyrics, news articles, and experiences we see the true meaning of the American dream.

Work cited
Goff, Keli. "The American Dream Is Dead, and Good Riddance." The Daily Beast (2014). The Daily Beast.
Web.
<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/07/the-american-dream-is-dead-and-good-riddance.html>.
Summary: Keli Goff has an excellent explanation for the American Dream she discuss about the dream is
dying
from the peoples minds and what it used to stand for within all of the people that came here from all over
the w
orld.
Adams, James Truslow. The Epic of America. Boston [Mass.: Little, Brown, 1931.
Print. Summary:
"MKTO - American Dream." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Apr. 2014. Web. 22 Sept. 2015.

Graff, Gerald. "What's up with The American Dream?" They Say, I Say the Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing with Reading. 3rd Ed. New York: W.w Norton, 2015. 539-540. Print.
Graff, Gerald. "What's up with The American Dream?" They Say, I Say the Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing with Reading. 3rd ed. W.w Norton, 2015. 540. Print.
Graff, Gerald. "What's up with The American Dream?" They Say, I Say the Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing with Reading. 3rd ed. New York: W.w Norton, 2015. 540-541. Print.
Graff, Gerald. "What's up with The American Dream?" They Say, I Say the Moves That Matter in
Academic Writing with Reading. 3rd ed. New York: W.w Norton, 2015. 541. Print.

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