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Hope Mink

Tammy Davis

Comp II MWF 9:30

3 April 2017

All People Are Capable of the American Dream

When it comes to living the American Dream, is there really only one view of a dream for

everyone? I believe the American Dream is what you make it to be, no matter if you are of the

privileged life or not. I love what Ardon L. Schambers states in the beginning of his piece about

the views of the American Dream. In simple terms it is the idea that everyone can better

themselves if they make the effort. It doesnt matter what station in life you are born to low,

middle or even high. Wherever you begin, if you have a goal to do more, or accomplish a major

objective, or change the world, you can make it happen. (Schambers). Being privileged, in my

opinion, has absolutely nothing to do with the American Dream and living it. Of course, it would

help, but your standing in the world should not matter when it comes to the American Dream.

Everyone seems to get lumped as one, making the American Dream a one size fits all

category. I, personally, do not believe this is the appropriate point of view to have towards the it.

If we were all to set our own dream then overall, we will eventually be achieving the American

Dream together. Jamie Utt makes many remarks toward the American Dream being for white.

Whiteness has evolved over time, but its singular aim has been to ensure that certain people

(wealthy, White men mostly) hold power built upon the exploitation of people of Color and, to a

lesser degree, poor White people (Utt). I do not agree with the way Utt states the ways white

people are ahead of many, although there may be some truth to it; categorizing the American

Dream, whether it is race or stance in the economy, is a sure way for it to fail time and time
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again. Every individual deserves to have their own input and efforts when it comes to the

American Dream. Everyone should not be thrown together in a pile of assumption that they all

should believe and work towards the same things. Avoid the categorizing and the American

Dream will become more possible to reach in time.

When being someone who is less privileged than others, the process to the American

Dream could be a little frightening. In The American DreamPossible for Everyone? it talks

about the way many view the changes in life. With the lives we live today and the people we

have become, we tend to struggle with the concept of change and that includes the changes that

are for the better and are not going to put other people in harms way (Schambers). Change is

usually always good and I know I struggle with it but ultimately as a community, we need to

accept it. When there is change that occurs for someone who is less fortunate, they may be a little

more appreciative than someone who has all their wants and needs fulfilled. Not because those

who are privileged arent appreciative but simply because they are used to having everything.

The less fortunate tend to hold these privileges dear to their heart because they have always

wanted to achieve them and longed for them.

Now, am I saying those who are privileged are people who dont appreciate achievements

and dreams or who havent wanted or longed for something? No. I am simply stating that they

often may be less appreciative and become greedier because when they often get what they want,

they sometimes are on to the next item on their list. Instead of being this way, we could give

back to those less fortunate in many ways. For instance, there is one example in Privilege and

the American Dream that I enjoy and think is great. If you possibly can speak Spanish, use that

to your advantage and help those Spanish-speaking in their education to better themselves and

those around them (Ramos). Paying it forward when you are someone in the upper hand of life is
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a sure way to better the world we live in today. Some people who are below you in the economy

may be looking at your lifestyle dreaming of it. Always appreciate the life you live and give back

anytime when you have the opportunity.

Just because I say the less fortunate may dream of the privileged lifestyle, does not mean

that is true for all. Mentioned earlier, your dream is what you believe it to be. Some may believe

the American Dream is about the materialistic ways of life, while others believe in opportunity

and having rights in the American life. As Ramos mentions his fathers journey to America, you

can see how opportunity is important to those outside the US. In his article he states, the

family quickly assimilated to their new homeland, learning a new culture and its customswith

the understanding that education is the key to escaping poverty, my grandparents put all three

boys through college. Through hard work and discipline, my father made it through medical

school (Ramos). Like Ramos, I may be one of those people who are more sentimental when it

comes to dreams. Those who look deeper into the meaning of dreams and tend to hold the little

things close to their hearts.

My American Dream is all about my family and happiness. I am a sentimental person, so

family is my everything. When I think of my American Dream, it always revolves around myself

and them. I push myself in everything I do so that one day, I can achieve my dreams. I wouldnt

say I am of the less privileged but I am not in the over privileged category either; I am more of

the middle-class person. Having just enough not to receive help but not quite enough to afford all

that is necessary to achieve the materialistic American Dream. Being in this situation my whole

life is one of the reasons I work so hard for myself, my family and future family. Making

sacrifices and helping those in need help with achieving the American Dream. Whatever your

class may be, you can reach your American Dream with enough effort and determination.
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Every human being has their own outlook of their American Dream and can achieve it

through hard work and dedication. Privilege and the American Dream speaks about the life

you were born into and ways to use it for the better. Just because you may be the child of the

wealthy, does not mean you cannot contribute to your American Dream or someone elses as well

(Ramos). Being of the privileged helps you get there but whether you are of the privileged, less

fortunate, or the middle class; your American Dream is still possible. Those who are less

fortunate just have a few more obstacles in their way but the possibility remains. When everyone

is reaching their individual dreams, it could put us one step closer to attaining the bigger picture

so many talk about and are afraid is fading; the overall American Dream.
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Annotated Bibliographies

Kerwick, Jack. Black Skin Privilege and the American Dream. Front Page Magazine,

February 14 2013, http://www.frontpagemag.com/, March 12, 2017.

Kerwick in this piece is discussing the short book Black Skin Privilege by David

Horowitz and John Perazzo and how it relates to the American Dream; referring to the

presidency of Barack Obama and the racial riots that occurred at that time. He makes a point to

prove that the white population do in fact have it better when it comes to reaching the American

Dream. Kerwick is a blogger for The Philosophers Fortress and At the Intersection of Faith and

Culture. Front Page Magazine is a political and racial based news page that is obviously biased

and promotes David Horowitz Freedom Center. I believe this content is fairly sound, considering

its point of view. I would like to use this source in my essay.

Ramos, Adam. Privilege and the American Dream. The Observer, Oct 5 2015,

http://ndsmcobserver.com, March 9, 2017.

Ramos includes stories he was told by his father to show the path through poverty to the

American Dream. He believes just because you are well of does not mean you cant help those

who are not. Achieving the American Dream requires teamwork and a helping hand. Adam

Ramos is a student at the University of Notre Dame and is majoring in international economics.

The Observer is an online newspaper source ran by students that serves Notre Dame. I am

pleased with this source and believe it to be reliable information. I have every intent to use this

source in my essay.
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Schambers, Ardon L. The American DreamPossible for Everyone? Grand Rapids Business

Journals, April 18 2014, http://www.grbj.com, March 7, 2017

Schambers speaks about the hard work and effort it takes to achieve the American Dream

but also includes the way American tend to attempt reaching the dream these days. Americans,

according to Schambers, often step on others to get where they want to be instead of supporting

and encouraging one another. He concludes with the American Dream being possible for all as

long as we change our ways and start supporting each other. Ardon L. Schambers works as a

principal of the P3HR Consulting and Services in Grand Rapids. Since Schambers does work in

the Human Resources field, he does include some biased information towards is line of work.

The GRBJ is a business news provider that has been around since the 1980s. Overall I am

impressed with this source and plan on using information from it for my essay.

Utt, Jamie. 4 Ways the American Dream is Actually Just Affirmative Action for White People.

Everyday Feminism, November 15 2015, http://everydayfeminism.com/, March 18, 2017.

In this article, Utt has chosen to speak about the historical events that have led to the

advanced opportunities for white people. He believes the American Dream is formed around

education and that white people are the ones who have the advantage when it comes to living or

achieving the American Dream. Utt concludes with ways for the privileged white people to help

those of other races and less fortunate. Jamie Utt is a writer for Everyday Feminism and is also a

student at University of Arizona. Everyday Feminism is an online magazine for news and

information. The site has several advertisements but the context makes me feel confident. I

believe I will be using this source for my essay.

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Works Cited

Ramos, Adam. Privilege and the American Dream. The Observer, Oct 5 2015,

http://ndsmcobserver.com, March 9, 2017.

Schambers, Ardon L. The American DreamPossible for Everyone? Grand Rapids Business

Journals, April 18 2014, http://www.grbj.com, March 7, 2017

Utt, Jamie. 4 Ways the American Dream is Actually Just Affirmative Action for White People.

Everyday Feminism, November 15 2015, http://everydayfeminism.com/, March 18, 2017.