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Deontae Brown

English 1201 B55

Professor Madden

4 August 2019

American Dream Research Paper

The American Dream is an ideal where every American has the same equal opportunity

to reach whatever goals or dreams that they may have. However, as an African-American male I

know that this ideal may not apply to me. On the news, I constantly see other African-Americans

like me being targeted and our lives threatened by the very force that is supposedly protecting us.

This all happens while our fellow white Americans can live their lives happy and be able to

pursue this so called American dream. This does not seem very equal to me. I can remember two

times where I had a run in with the police. The first time, I was fifteen years old and I was

playing with my friends at a local elementary school playground which is available to the public

during the summer. Someone reported to the police of some suspicious activity happening at the

elementary school. In reality, it was just me and my friends having a fun time and being kids.

When a cop arrived and questioned us, I felt scared for my life. Two years later, I was pulled

over for not having my lights on and I had the same feeling as I did when I was fifteen. Black

teens like myself should not be constantly fearing for our lives when the police arrives. This is

just one example of the inequalities that black Americans must live with in the United States.

The sad part about this is that it is not just African Americans facing inequality. Mexican-

Americans and immigrants face stereotypes such as gangsters, rapists, and job stealers. Families

are being split up just to deport these “criminals” back to Mexico. Women are dehumanized in

our society and are sometimes seen as just sex objects for men. In recent years, rape and sexual
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assault has been constantly increasing. And some states like Alabama are not allowing abortions

which causes these rape victims to have to keep their child even if they are only twelve years old.

These are just a few examples of the injustices and inequality that happens in the country and is

allowed to keep happening. Is the American Dream really something every citizen can obtain if

there is so much inequality for some people. The truth is that it is not a possibility for every

American. The American Dream is not an ideal that is a reality for many Americans due to the

racism, opportunity inequality, income inequality, and gender inequality that takes place in

America.

First, racism in the United States prevents many Americans from being able to live their

dreams. Many African Americans, for example, live in constant fear for their lives due to racism

in the police force. African Americans are also hired less for job opportunities and receives less

income than their white counterparts. According to Llewellyn Smith, a famous director, “Today,

the net worth of the average Black family is about 1/8 that of the average white family” (Smith).

This unequal distribution of wealth is due to unequal access to jobs for African Americans.

These are mostly due to either white supremacy or the way the media portrays African

Americans. White supremacists wants to keep white Americans on the top and every other race

below them where they are able to control them better. This causes many people to deny jobs to

minorities or believe that they have the authority to punish them. The media on the other hand,

has been depicting the African American image as criminals since the 90s (DuVernay). This

media helped put the stereotype of a criminal on black Americans, through the eyes of the police

and society. This puts a negative target against them by the police and society. This media bias

helps make it easier for police officers to assume that an African American that they have taken

into custody is a criminal. This also makes it easier for officers to harm and even kill the people
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they take into custody even if they are innocent. These officers view their behavior as justifiable

because it is easy to label a group of people who have been frequently seen as criminals for years

as possible criminals which helps them get away with their crime. African Americans are not

able to reach the American Dream due to the fact that they are either being judged before even

given the chance to prove themselves as hard workers or trying to survive and stay alive.

Next, many black Millennials believe that they can not realize their dreams due to

hardships that other races do not face despite being in a time where the perception of equality is

better now more than ever (Allen). Due to the inequalities of the nation, many African

Americans no longer see their dreams even possible anymore. These millennials are upset about

the lack of opportunities available for jobs or housing. Many people, including older black

Americans, do not understand the hardships of these millennials and expect them to be able to

get a good job with the degrees they get in school. The added threat of having to fear for their

lives due to the police makes the possibility of realizing their dream even more difficult. Joslyn

Armstrong and other academic researchers studied how discrimination impacts American

Dream achievement for African Americans and stated that,

“The present research evaluated the effects of discrimination and life satisfaction on

perceptions of achieving The American Dream among a sample of N = 1,081 African

American adults. Results showed that higher levels of discrimination led to higher odds

of African Americans believing that they would never achieve The American Dream”

(Armstrong).

This shows that not only are African Americans blocked from their dreams physically by other

people or by racial barriers but emotionally also. Racism is beginning to break the hopes and

dreams of young African Americans which goes against what the American Dream stands for.
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Secondly, opportunity inequality can happen either because of race or the amount of

income a person’s parents makes. It creates a gap between not only social classes and different

races, but the next generation as well. Opportunity inequality in the United States originated

mostly from racism and segregation which was enforced by the government. The United States

used racist measures to harm and prevent the growth in wealth for minorities. This is also called

systemic or institutional racism which is, “all of the policies and practices entrenched in

established institutions that harm certain racial groups and help others”(Desmond-Harris). For

example, African Americans were prevented from creating wealth and moving up in social class

due to slavery, and then the creation of the Jim Crow laws. There was no way to make more

money because of these actions that permitted segregation. The jobs that created the most wealth

were left mostly for the white upper class and caused minorities to take the more labor intensive

jobs that paid less money. The government institutionalized the National Appraisal System in

the year 1930 which used race when assessing real estate in the United States (Smith). This made

it easier for federal investigators to evaluate minority communities very badly and a possible

financial risk. This eventually led to the association of minorities with financial risk. This caused

home selling institutions not to want to sell to minorities even if they had the money because

they will lower the value of that community. The lower the rating, the less mortgages that

community will receive. For example, a white community in Detroit wanted mortgages for their

properties but they did not have a high enough rating because they were close to a neighborhood

which was predominately black. The community then built a wall to separate them from their

African-American neighbors and get better ratings. Other laws that benefited white Americans

and boosted their wealth, but excluded minorities were The Chinese Exclusion Act and even the

Social Security Act. Both of these acts gave whites worker benefits such as money for industrial
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accidents or unemployment. These excluded the poor agricultural and domestic workers which

were mostly minorities. These racial practices denied many families to be able to build wealth or

even attempt to make their dreams a reality which is a reason why many families are poor today.

Moreover, opportunity inequality can be viewed as a cycle throughout the generations of

a family. The parents are poor and struggle to take care and support their child. The parents may

not be able to afford a proper education for that child, and so the child must struggle to support

them self when they move away and leave their family. Then the cycle repeats itself when the

child, now an adult, tries to form their own family. The wealthy on the other hand have enough

money to support a child through college. That child now has a proper education that can lead to

a good job and their own production of wealth. This adds on to the wealth of that particular

family. Even if the poor and unsupported child worked to achieve the same amount of education

as the supported child, they will still have more debt than the supported child. The richer and

more supported child would have help to pay off any debt unlike the unsupported one which

again puts the two on different fields. One will have better opportunities than the other because

they have either less or no school debt. The unsupported child may have to conserve more

money to pay off their debts while the other can spend more on leisure and vacation because they

have no debts. The only difference between the two individuals is the amount of money that their

family had during their early development. The family with the ability to support their child

easier due to having more money, provided their child better opportunities in life. Opportunities

that are not provided to the poorer child due to their family having less money. This unequal

access to beneficial opportunity contradicts the very meaning of the American Dream and proves

that the ideal does not apply to all Americans.

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Thirdly, income inequality shows that the American Dream is not available to every

American. The researchers at the Institution of Policy Studies stated that,

“The median Black family, with just over $3,500, owns just 2 percent of the wealth of the

nearly $147,000 the median White family owns. The median Latino family, with just

over $6,500, owns just 4 percent of the wealth of the median White family. Put

differently, the median White family has 41 times more wealth than the median Black

family and 22 times more wealth than the median Latino family”(“Racial Economic

Inequality”).

This divide of income between race is due to employment rates and having less opportunities to

earn raises or having leadership positions. For example, whites and Asian unemployment rates

are far less than African American unemployment rates. While White unemployment rates are at

3.4 percent and Asians are at 3.3 percent, African American unemployment rates are at 6.6

percent. Majority of the Americans in leadership positions, such as CEOs, are not minorities but

White or Asian. The Census Bureau of Economic Policy stated that, “In 2017, Fortune 500

CEOs, who earned approximately $13 million on average, included just three Black people and

11 Latinos — less than 3 percent of the total” (“Racial Economic Inequality”). This inequality

limits the amount of wealth that minorities are able to create compared to other Americans.

Minorities do not have the same opportunity as other citizens to achieve their dreams when it

comes to wealth, which goes against what the American Dream promises to every American.
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Fig. 1 Compares the divide of wealth between Whites, Blacks, and Latinos in the years 1983 and
2016 (“Racial Economic Inequality”).
Furthermore, income inequality is a problem for more than just minorities, but for the

lower classes in society as well. The co-director of the Center on Children and Families and

researcher of social mobility, Richard Reeves, explained that, “The American upper middle class

is separating, slowly but surely, from the rest of society. This separation is most obvious in terms

of income—where the top fifth have been prospering while the majority lags behind” (Reeves).

The top five percent of the United States is gaining more wealth over time creating a gap

between them and the lower classes. The top families receives about half of the overall wealth in

the US. This is due to a number of factors such as education, marriage, and unclear political

policies. The worst factor is the long term status of top families over the years. Research showed

that when a status becomes strongly inherited, it is hard to lose which keeps the rich at the top

with low rates of downward mobility. This means that the rich stays rich with very little

opportunity for others to join them. The income gap has been growing over the years

(Karageorge). Researchers have observed the gap increase at a steady pace. The top 5 percent's

share of resources has increased. The gap is growing due to less opportunities for jobs for people
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without a degree, the value of minimum wage is decreasing, and disparities in educational

attainment. This gap will continue to grow if the upper class remains to have more wealth

overall. If the lower classes were given more access to more resources, that still would not be

enough to close the gap. As long as there is an income gap between the upper and lower classes

due to unequal opportunity, the American Dream will never be a reality for every American

citizen.

Lastly, sexism or gender inequality shows how the American Dream can sometimes not

be an option for women. This is apparent when it comes to the workforce. In the workforce, a

woman can face inequalities such as unequal pay or unequal opportunities for promotion

compared to men. The US Census Bureau found that females earn only eighty percent of what

males are paid in total. Females are being paid much less compared to males in the same

occupation or job which dramatically lowers the income of these women. Another factor that is

contributing to the increasing separation of income between males and females are the types of

career women typically choose to pursue. “Almost half of all women work in a few low paying

clerical and service jobs, while men work in a much greater variety of jobs including high paying

ones” (Barkan). These include occupations such as nursing, food servers, early development

educators, secretaries, and etc. These jobs typically pay less than most jobs. Women take these

jobs due to socialization, and the way society expects women to act. Women are the caregivers

and are expected to go for jobs that suit that job not hardworking jobs like doctors, lawyers, or

engineers. Moreover, when women do get a decent job they have a much less chance of a

promotion or chance to obtain a leadership position compared to men. Only five percent of

women are in leadership positions or are CEOs and they make up less than ten percent of being

top performers when it comes to wealth, according to the S&P 500 (Wilson). The S&P 500 is
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based on the market capitalization of five hundred large companies. This means that out of those

five hundred companies, only five percent are in a top leadership position. The workforce leaves

women with very little benefits for their contributions to society compared to men.

In addition, today’s society views women as weak and not as tough as men. This could

influence the mind of a manager, for example, to hire a man over a woman even if the woman is

more qualified for the job. “While many say that society values honesty, morality and

professional success in men, the top qualities for women are physical attractiveness and being

nurturing and empathetic” (Parker). If society still sees women as the caregiver and nothing else,

it is hard to put women on an equal field as men because men “do more influential and hard

work” than women. This social norm that society has placed on women is a contributing reason

to why women are less privileged as men in today’s society. People believe that the role of

caregiver is easier and less stressful compared to other jobs which could cause the praise of the

contributions of men in society over the contributions of women. This can cause women to lose

confidence in their skills because of the way society views them. In Cynthia Johnson’s article she

stated that, “I noticed that when I interviewed women, they were more skeptical of their

capabilities than their male counterparts. In fact, men with less experience often seemed more

confident in their ability to perform a job and were willing to ask for more perks” (Johnson).

This could be due to the fact that society does not see women as possible leaders, so women are

less confident when it comes to asking for promotions or job opportunities. Johnson believes that

women should have the confidence to fight for something that they want and deserve. If more

people, men and women alike, supported women when it comes to the workforce, maybe more

women would be put in more leadership positions.

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Fig. 2 Shows the percentage of women affected by the various types of sexual harassment
(O'Malley).
Also, women are also viewed as sexual objects for men in society which diminishes the

value of women in society as a whole. Men make verbal and physical advances on women that

can come off as sexual assault or even harassment. This sexual harassment can affect women in

the workplace, typically by men in a leadership position, or on the street which could lead to

rape. This problem has now escalated and is now being seen as a problem. O’Malley stated that,

“Indeed, a Washington Post-ABC News poll after the Weinstein scandal broke found that 64

percent of Americans see workplace sexual harassment as a ‘serious problem,’ up from 47

percent in 2011” (O'Malley). Women are not able to properly work towards their dream when

they have to constantly face and fear sexual harassment at work. An online survey of five

hundred Redbook readers reported that about eighty percent of them face some kind of sexual

harassment at work in 2016. The way society views women as nurturing caregivers whose jobs

are less important and sex objects contributes to the gender inequality of society today. These

factors can make women seem worth less in society than men and unequal to men in general

which could contribute to being less privileged. If the value of women are devalued in society by

these stereotypes and labels put on women, then they will remain less privileged in society

compared to men.
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In opposition, some people say that others are not able to obtain their goals and follow

their dreams due to the fact that these people just do not work hard enough so they are poor.

From a sociological functionalist perspective, some researchers believe that in order for the

country to function as a whole, it is necessary for some people to be part of the lower class.

These ways of thinking are both wrong. Most people are not able to reach their dreams due to the

inequalities of the nation not because they are lazy. Everyone does not have the same opportunity

to grow and work hard to get their “reward.” For example, the chance to get hired and keep a job

is not equal for all citizens. It is easier for a white male to get hired for a job compared to racial

minorities and females. If minorities do not even get an equal chance to get work how will they

“pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” Also, the nation has enough wealth to spread to the

lower classes and still function. If more people gained more wealth that would lower poverty

rates, crime, and improve the lives of many Americans which would strengthen the nation as a

whole. The long term effect of this denial of this basic American right is that it will eventually

cause a call for change or even a revolution. The country can not withhold something that they

promised to so many people without experiencing some form of imminent backlash.

In the end, the American Dream is just an unrealistic dream for some citizens in the

country. The racism of the United States causes people to lose out on job opportunities or have to

fear for their safety because of their race. The opportunity inequality shows how people do not

have an equal opportunity for basic things such as education or housing. The income inequality

limits the amount of wealth that people have due to unjust reasons such as race, access to

education, or just having a vacation. Sexism prevents women from having leadership positions in

the workplace and causes women to have to fear sexual harassment when trying to work. The

American dream is an ideal where every American has the same equal opportunity to reach
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whatever goals or dreams that they may have. These clear inequalities limits this “equal”

opportunity for various Americans. The American Dream is not a reality if there are obstacles

such as sexual harassment or even blocks such as not hiring minorities for jobs. This problem

could start being fixed by passing new laws that broke down systematic racism, made

employment more equal, stopped police brutality, taxed the rich more, or banned sexual

harassment in the workplace. However, until laws like those are passed, the American Dream is

not available to every citizen of the country due to systematic racism and discrimination, unequal

access to opportunity, unequal distribution of wealth, and gender inequality.

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Works Cited

Allen, Reniqua. “The American Dream Isn't for Black Millennials.” The New York Times, The

New York Times, 5 Jan. 2019,

www.nytimes.com/2019/01/05/opinion/sunday/american-dream-black-millennials-

homeownership.html.

Armstrong, Joslyn, et al. “‘A Dream Deferred’: How Discrimination Impacts the American

Dream Achievement for African Americans.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 50, no. 3,

Apr. 2019, pp. 227–250. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0021934719833330.

Barkan, Steve. Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World. Minnesota

Publishing ed., 2016.

Desmond-Harris, Jenée. “Finally, an Explanation of Systemic Racism That Won't Put You to

Sleep.” Vox, Vox, 23 Apr. 2015,

www.vox.com/2015/4/23/8482799/systemic-racism-explained-examples.

DuVernay, Ava, director. 13th. Netflix, 2016.

Johnson, Cynthia. “An Interview With Joss Whedon on Women's Equality in the Workplace.”

BusinessCollective, CommunityCo, 21 Nov. 2016,

businesscollective.com/an-interview-with-joss-whedon-on-womens-equality-in-the-work

place/index.html.

Karageorge, Eleni. “The Growth of Income Inequality in the United States : Monthly Labor

Review.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1 Apr. 2015,

www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2015/beyond-bls/the-growth-of-income-inequality-in-the-united-

states.htm.
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O'Malley, Sharon. "Workplace Sexual Harassment." CQ Researcher, 27 Oct. 2017, pp. 893-

917, library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2017102700.

“Racial Economic Inequality.” Inequality.org, Institute for Policy Studies,

inequality.org/facts/racial-inequality/.

Reeves, Richard V. “The Dangerous Separation of the American Upper Middle Class.”

Brookings, Brookings, 26 Oct. 2016,

www.brookings.edu/research/the-dangerous-separation-of-the-american-upper-middle-cl

ass/.

Smith, Llewellyn M, director. The House We Live In: Race--The Power of an Illusion.

California Newsreel, 2003.

Wilson, Julie. “5 Top Issues Fueling Gender Inequality in the Workplace.” As You Sow, As You

Sow, 25 Feb. 2019, www.asyousow.org/blog/gender-equality-workplace-issues.