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Christina Oswald

Professor Sotirakopulos

English 1102-HON08

10 April 2018

The American Facade

The American Dream is an ideal that has been held near and dear to Americans since it

was first coined in 1931. The concept of an American Dream changes between every person, be

it living with a nuclear family in a suburban home with a white picket fence or in a luxurious

penthouse in the city. Regardless, this ideal has consistently been defined as a secure life with the

opportunity to become wealthy. Although the American Dream is an ideal that most Americans

strive to attain, marginalized Americans tend to face more difficulties obtaining this dream. Over

the years minority groups including Latino and African Americans continue to struggle to live

comfortably. It is commonly believed that one’s determination can be enough to achieve the

American Dream. Many believe that hard-work and determination, along with the use of public

resources such as schools and libraries, any person can live a comfortable life. However, there

are possible socioeconomic factors that limit one’s chance of the American Dream. But what are

the most significant limiting factors?

The American Dream does not have a definitive definition: however, most Americans

have a personalized interpretation of this ideal. Brian Scios, the Director of Communications at

Public Agenda, documented a webinar and panel discussion at the National Press Club which

included a national survey about the public’s idea of the American Dream. Out of 2,000, 79% of

the respondents believed that the American Dream “is the opportunity for people… to achieve

great wealth and fame” and/or “the opportunity for people… to live a secure, middle-class life”
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(Scios). In this socioeconomic status, people are able to live comfortably, buy more than just

necessities, and have the possibility to achieve an even higher status. Obtaining a higher status

can be done single-handedly usually through higher education. By going to high school and

graduating college, an individual will be able to get a respectable, high-paying job that will allow

the person to either live as they did growing up, or better. However, some Americans are less

likely to have the resources to obtain a higher status.

Socioeconomic status is determined by a person’s occupation, education level, and

income. However, studies show that attaining a high status is more difficult to some when

compared to other non-marginalized people. Some major limiting factors include incarceration,

pregnancy, race, and even gender.

Being incarcerated almost always guarantees a tougher time finding a job. Employers are

legally allowed to ask about a potential hire’s criminal history. Although discrimination against

incarcerated people is illegal, employers may still find applicants without a criminal record as a

better fit for the job. According to the UC Davis Center of Poverty Research, incarcerated

parents are more likely to receive social assistance, be officially classified as poor, have a hard

time paying bills, and have difficulty receiving medical care when compared to non-incarcerated

parents (Carter).

Pregnancy is also a factor that can worsen one’s socioeconomic status. Women who face

unplanned pregnancies as teenagers are not only more likely to drop out of high school but also

be classified as poor. The Guttmacher Institute, a sexual and reproductive research and policy

organization, states that “about 5% of women of reproductive age had an unplanned pregnancy

each year. Among poor women, however, the rate of unintended pregnancy was more than five

times that of women with an income of at least 200% of the federal poverty level” (“Unintended
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Pregnancy”). Pregnancies often decreases a woman’s chance to further her education and career

because the mother has become more concerned over her child than herself.

Less controllable factors like gender and race also play a role in determining one’s social

status. African Americans are less likely to find a high paying job when compared to white

Americans. Arguably, African Americans with no criminal history are still less likely to find a

job than their incarcerated white counterparts. Latino and African Americans are also more likely

to have unintended pregnancies (“Unintended Pregnancy”). Women also tend to struggle more

than men when they are finding a job that pays high salaries due to factors like the glass ceiling,

“an artificial boundary that allows women to see the next occupational level even as structural

obstacles keep them from reaching it” (“Gender and Society” 272). This means that men have an

easier time gaining promotions when compared to their female counterparts. Though it should be

noted that “men experience the… effect differently based on their race” (271).

All the limiting factors boil down to one major problem: the lack of upward social

mobility within minority groups. Social mobility is defined as the movement of people between

social classes. Upward mobility happens when someone of a lower social class is able to move

into a higher social class and is less likely to happen to marginalized Americans. Richard

Reeves, the Co-Director of the Center on Children and Families at Brookings, a research group

based in Washington D.C., explains in his article “The Other American Dream” that it is more

likely that an African American will be born in poverty; however, “they are also less likely to

escape”. As adults, “more than half of [African Americans] raised at the bottom of the income

scale remain stuck there as adults, compared to a third of whites” (Reeves). African-Americans

have a harder time obtaining a stable lifestyle because they are often more likely to be born in a

poor family as compared to other racial groups.

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Some believe that the American Dream is achievable for all if they put in enough effort.

Most communities provide resources like libraries and after-school clubs to allow people the

access to a more academic atmosphere. This belief states that hard-work and determination will

allow one to overcome anything. Angela Lee Duckworth, a psychologist, math teacher, and

former job consultant, gave rise to the concept of “grit.” Duckworth defines grit as passion and

perseverance. In school, some concepts are difficult for students to comprehend, but by working

long and hard enough, any student will be able to learn said concepts. Although plausible, this

idea fails to acknowledge the societal factors that individuals are not completely in control of.

Research shows that the major reason why upward mobility should be a concern is

because most Americans are unaware of it. An article titled “American Dream? Or Mirage?”

written by Michael Kraus, Shai Davidai, and David Nussbaum whom all have a PhD in Social

Psychology and are all professors of Psychology at different universities, states that “economic

inequality in the United States is at its highest level since the 1930s, yet most Americans remain

relatively unconcerned with the issue” (Kraus). The article continues to explain that the reason

why most Americans are unconcerned is because they overestimate the amount of upward

mobility that is happening in the United States. Kraus explains that success stories about upward

change in social status are exaggerated which makes them seem more common than they really

are.

The American Dream is possible, but usually only for the lucky few that were born into

well-standing families, raised in affluent neighborhoods, and did not face any major bumps in the

road. Of course the idea of rags-to-riches still happens in the United States, but the chance of that

happening is slim for the majority of marginalized Americans.

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Works Cited

Carter, Angela, and Bill McCarthy. “Reducing the Effects of Incarceration on Children and

Families.” Center for Poverty Research, UC Davis Center for Poverty Research,

www.poverty.ucdavis.edu/policy-brief/reducing-effects-incarceration-children-and-

families

“Gender and Society.” Discover Sociology, by William J. Chambliss and Daina S. Eglitis, 3rd

ed., Sage Publication, 2018, pp. 271-272

Kraus, Michael W., et al. “American Dream? Or Mirage?” The New York Times, The New York

Times, 1 May 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/05/03/opinion/sunday/american-dream-or-

mirage.html.

Reeves, Richard V. “The Other American Dream: Social Mobility, Race and Opportunity.”

Brookings, Brookings, 28 July 2016, www.brookings.edu/blog/social-mobility-

memos/2013/08/28/the-other-american-dream-social-mobility-race-and-opportunity/.

Scios, Brian. “Hard Work Is Essential for Achieving the American Dream, But Is It Enough?

Americans Are Divided According to a New Survey.” Public Agenda, Public Agenda, 1

Oct. 2012, www.publicagenda.org/press-releases/hard-work-is-essential-for-achieving-

the-american-dream-but-is-it-enough-americans-are-divided-according-to-a-new-survey.

“Unintended Pregnancy in the United States.” Guttmacher Institute, Guttmacher Institute, 20

Sept. 2017, www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/unintended-pregnancy-united-states.