African American Dream - 1039 Words

The American dream is an elusive idea for many Americans; it allows access but does not provide equal opportunity to achieve it for every American citizen and varies wildly throughout different social classes in America. Inequality plagues society throughout these social classes, providing or denying certain opportunities throughout them. Social classes all throughout America are denied or provided with different opportunities than one another, making certain social classes, such as immigrants different races, put in more work and effort into achieving their American dream. Race is arguably the biggest factor in identifying a social class, and America has famously been a racist and segregated country throughout history, even today.†¦show more content†¦Another quote by Langston Hughes, from his famous poem Let America be America Again, he states â€Å"I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek—And finding only the same old stupid plan of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.† This quote is extremely powerful and speaks to the idea of different social classes, being that Hughes brings up African Americans, Native Americans, and immigrants, and then shows the flaw of America by â€Å"stating dog eat dog, mighty crush the weak†, in reference to white, rich families having more opportunities and access to the American dream than people of any other social class. Wealth is another part of social classes that creates inequality and different opportunities when it comes to achieving the American dream. Someone who is wealthy will have more opportunities given to them to access to the American dream, and David Ignatow encapsulates that thought perfectly through his poem Europe and America, where he contrasts the life of himself and his father’s, who was an immigrant, and Ignatow states â€Å"Thus, between my father who lives on a bed of anguish for his daily bread, and I who tear money at leisure by the roots...†. Short and simply Ignatow is saying that his father lived a life where his own well-being was not guaranteed to him, hence â€Å"lives on a bed of anguish for his dailyShow MoreRelatedAfrican Americans And The American Dream1355 Words   |  6 Pagespopular television series of the time. The â€Å"American Dream† was becoming a reality for all, or so it seemed. Unfortunately, life for one portion of the populatio n of the United States was less than desirable. Although they received full citizenship and all its benefits with the passing of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, African Americans led a life that was subpar to that of their white counterparts. Their American reality tainted their American dream. When there is a denial of freedom, thoseRead MoreThe American Dream Of African Americans1400 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is the American Dream? To many people across the globe, the United States of America appears to be a place where one can be proud of. America the land where dreams come true and there is always a chance for any person to succeed. People who are not from the United States have been painted a beautiful picture of what life in our country is like. Not only do they think that there is a special place in American Dream of African American soldiers after WWI American Dream of African American soldiersRead MoreThe Dreams Of African Americans1352 Words   |  6 Pagesup with a dream to become better or have more in life. Not all dreams become reality. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make a dream come true. In the early 1950’s, it was extremely hard for an African American to have their dreams come true. A poem by Langston Hughes entitled â€Å"Harlem† describes the dreams of African Americans during this time period. Lorraine Hansberry wrote â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† based off of this poem and it further depicts the struggles African Americans went throughRead MoreAfrican Americans And The American Dream1935 Words   |  8 PagesIntro: The American Dream attracts many people from all over the world, people have an image that living in America grants them the life of their dreams, but does living in america really grant people the perfect life? The Case For Reparations by Coates explains how African Americans have struggled in the past with racism and discrimination. He goes on to talk about their lives during slavery a nd post slavery, and how African Americans are unemployed and undereducated. Aja ET AL.’s essay From ARead MoreAfrican Americans And The American Dream1793 Words   |  8 PagesEven though the optimal American Dream doesn’t promise that all citizens will achieve personal success, it offers equality and fortunes for them to pursue dreams through hard work. However, during the Industrial Age, the American Dream didn’t apply to the lower class. Most immigrants from southern and eastern Europe arrived in the United States to escape religious persecution and poverty in their home countries and also seek new opportunities. But, they realized the brutal reality after their arrivalRead More Essay on the African American Dream in Song of Solomon961 Words   |  4 PagesThe African American Dream in Song of Solomon      Ã‚   Like most Americans, African Americans have developed variations of the American Dream. Many African Americans find that their dream differs from the traditional American dream in that there is no immediate success. Sometimes the dream consists of equality via liberty or literacy, while at other times it is a simple desire to know self through historical connection.    In Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon, Milkman was literate and hadRead MoreAfrican Americans : The American Dream Game Cartoon By David Horsey Essay1687 Words   |  7 PagesThe United States is famous for its American dream, which ensures equal opportunity for all, but African Americans experience a more diluted form of the dream due to their innate reductions in socioeconomic mobility.   African Americans differ from White Americans physiologically only in skin pigmentation;   however, as depicted in The American Dream Game cartoon by David Horsey, a political commentator and cartoonist with extensive experience in social and political issues, various race-induced obstaclesRead MoreAchievement of the American Dream of an African American Family in The Cosby Show1801 Words   |  7 Pagesoverarching achievement of the American dream through an African American family. According to Marvin Riggs’s 1992 documentary Color Adjustment there were two types of images of African A mericans in the media. On one hand, the news showed the social and racial tensions that enveloped the post-civil rights era. On the other hand, primetime television depicted social harmony among the races–an image that most Americans understood as inaccurate. In the 1980s, most African Americans lived below the povertyRead MoreAfrican Americans Must Work to Achieve the American Dream Essay1438 Words   |  6 Pagesappears to be a place where one can be proud of. America the land where dreams come true and there is always a chance for any person to succeed. People who are not from the United States have been painted a beautiful picture of what life in our country is like. Not only do they think that there is a special place in America for them and the perfect career for each individual, but unfortunately this is not always true. The American dream is not necessarily to get rich quick, it is more along the lines ofRead MoreMaya Angelous African American Dream2503 Words   |à ‚  11 Pagesï » ¿Maya Angelou and her African American Dream Maya Angelou is one of the most distinguished African American writers of the twentieth century. Writing is not her only forte she is a poet, director, composer, lyricist, dancer, singer, journalist, teacher, and lecturer (Angelou and Tate, 3). Angelou’s American Dream is articulated throughout her five part autobiographical novels; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Gather Together in my Name, Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas