Written by Joselyn Bonilla
American Dream: The collective ideal that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.
Etymology: This term was first coined by James Truslow Adams (1878-1949), a US writer and popular historian, in his book, “Epic of America” in 1931. He described it as “the dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” In essence, it is used to describe a life that is fair for everyone, not just a collective few.
Contemporary Uses: Today, the word is used to describe American ideals. Owning a home, living comfortability financially, putting your kids through higher education. Throughout time, the term has been used during times of turmoil. It was used by Martin Luther King Jr., to describe an America where his kids can live comfortably. Most recently, it was used by Sarah Churchwell, a professor and author at the University of London, to counter the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol. She claimed that the American Dream of prosperity and success was under attack that day and noted that other world leaders thought the same.
In the immigrant community, it has been used to describe the lifestyle they want their families to have when they come to the United States. Most are coming from poorer communities, where education and prosperity are not as prioritized. According to PubMed Central, the term is mostly associated with immigrant groups, especially those coming from communities where socio-economic status is crucial to prosperity. The goal of this community inherently is life satisfaction through means of having more opportunities in the United States.
While the definition of the term is everchanging, it is clear that there is one solid goal: success & prosperity for all who come here. There are challenges to this mindset, like a lack of equal access to opportunity, making it harder for those communities to achieve this dream, but overall, there seems to be a common consensus that there are better opportunities for success in the United States than anywhere else.
References
American dream. Etymology. (n.d.). https://www.etymonline.com/word/American%20dream#etymonline_v_26183
Churchwell, S. (2022, November 21). A brief history of the American dream. George W. Bush Presidential Center. https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/state-of-the-american-dream/churchwell-history-of-the-american-dream#:~:text=No%20less%20an%20authority%20than,%2C%20determination%2C%20and%20initiative.”
Dictionary.com. (n.d.). American Dream Definition & meaning. Dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/american-dream
Mays, V. M., Becerra, R., & Cochran, S. D. (2023, September 8). The American Dream: Is immigration associated with life satisfaction for Latinos of Mexican descent?. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10531469/#:~:text=The%20term%20“American%20dream”%20is,race%2Fethnicity%20%5B7%5D.
Team, T. I. (n.d.). What is the American Dream? examples and how to measure it. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/american-dream.asp
