The American Dream Research Paper

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The American Dream Essay In the 1950s, many people’s American Dream consisted of raising a family, owning a house and a car, and maintaining stable incomes at their jobs. Economic stability was valued much more highly than money or materialism. However, as time passed, society changed and so did its measure of success; people became dissatisfied and wanted more. Not only do people today want everything those in the 1950’s wanted, but also aspire to lead more materialistic and wealthy lifestyles. While a large part of the American population, namely those who are wealthy, are still able to realize this new materialistic American Dream, an increasing number of Americans are finding it difficult, if not impossible to do so, due to the widening…show more content…
In the article “Silicon Valley Boom Eludes Many, Drives Income Gap”, author Martha Mendoza describes the harshness of surviving in the modern economy, especially for Silicon Valley individuals. Mendoza interviewed one man named Arwen Buditom, a paid security guard for one of the world’s largest companies. He voiced his complaints and opinions on how the Silicon Valley has been such a difficult place to survive for working class individuals. He exclaims, “I’m so passed over by the American Dream, I don’t even want to dream it anymore… It’s impossible to get ahead. I’m just trying to survive.” For many who have not benefited from the current tech boom, namely working class individuals whose incomes have stagnated while costs of living have skyrocketed, it has been challenging to survive and maintain economic stability, let alone accumulate enough assets to become wealthy. Unless one is fortunate enough to secure a high paying job in the tech industry, it is difficult to keep up with costs of living, including rising housing costs, which are driven partly by the demands of the tech boom. Individuals like Buditom are therefore “passed over by the American Dream.” Because of the large income gap between the wealthy class and the working and lower classes, it keeps the dream of economic stability, let alone living a wealthy and materialistic lifestyle, out of reach for the working class and lower class

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