On the way back home for Spring Break, assumedly as an international Affairs major and a concerned citizen for the next presidential debate, I spent my 3.5 hours on Amtrak watching, researching, and keeping tabs on the recent updates in the Presidential Race for 2016. As I keep on reading more and more, and watching more, and more, a thought occurred to me, “What happened to the American Dream?” In the Donald Trump videos, I saw racism, neglect, and abusive words, being thrown at protestors, immigrants, women, and more. In commercials for the candidates I observed veterans becoming homeless because they couldn’t find a job, middle class families struggling, students questioning whether to burden the cost of an education, and Muslims facing extreme Islamaphobia throughout the United States.
What has happened America?
I wonder, how was it just 60 years ago that the United States was on top of its game, we were ahead technology wise, engaging in the Arms Race, economic prosperity was rampant among the middle class, suburbs were developed with affordable housing, but also traditions and cultures unified parts of the United States, and even overarching traditions that stretched across the U.S. unified us enough to win wars, win the Arms race, Space Race, put more money into research, and help countries around the world. The America back then was pretty great, so what happened to it?
I remember growing up there were movies and stories about the American Dream. In the movies, it was always the scenario that a small town man or woman would move to the big city and get discovered. That as you walk down the streets of New York, someone would stop you and ask how your skin became so clear. and then you would be recruited for a modeling agency. Or how walking down the street in Los Angeles, could give you the big break needed. The hope or becoming something bigger, and better than before used to drive the American people. People would work long hours, not because they needed the extra money, but because a person would want to demonstrate what a hard-working person they were to their boss.
I read the other day, that this generation. my generation will be the first generation in American history to not earn more than the generation before, that we will face more problems that the generation before, that we will not prosper as the generation before us did. Is that because the American people have lost all hope?
On my way transit to Penn Station in NYC, I looked around me on the train. I wanted to observe the people around me… Do people look happy, sad, hopeful, tired? As I sat in the corner of the car I observed the new people coming onto the train, and the people already sitting down. I found that a majority of the people in the car looked exhausted, which was odd especially for a Sunday. There were couples in love on the train, a dog looking expectantly at its owner, a girl typing on her computer, another filing her nails. As I sat and observed, there was an overarching tone of exhaustion, tiredness.
Its sad to think that America could be starting to lose its most notable characteristic. People have flocked to the USA to better their lives, to achieve the American Dream. When immigrants come to the US now, they are partly confronted with hostility, rejection, and racism. The American Dream has started to fade, and the illusion and hope of the American Dream has started to shatter with the facade.
But, I refuse to believe that the illusion, that the hope of bettering ourselves whether individual, collective, or nation wide ha just disappeared over time. I can’t accept that one of Americas founding characteristics has just vanished from the table. I want to believe that there can be a way to better myself, education wise, economic wise, health wise, and happiness wise. The American Dream must live on, embracing each generation, because it inspires, it creates hope amongst the American People.
I believe in the American Dream, working hard, putting in time and effort, embracing cultures and traditions can bring back a lost nation. What has happened America?
