...“America! From the other end of the earth where I came, America was a land of living hope, woven of dreams, aflame with longing and desire” (Yezierska 16). This quote centers on America’s promise to provide everyone with access to the American Dream. The American Dream is the thoughts, aspirations, visions and hopes associated with one’s future in America, specifically one’s goals, ambitions, and intents. In recent times, the dynamics of the American Dream has changed, and this shift has raised questions as to whether America is keeping its promise pertaining to the American Dream. While many Americans assert that because they have been able to achieve their goals America still provides access to the American Dream, others insist they have no way to achieve their American Dream because the...
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...Assessment Title: | The American Experience: SAT Style Argument Essay | Task: | Suggested Engagement Scenario: In order to be well-prepared for the SAT that you will take this year, it is important to practice the essay component of the exam. That is what you will do today.Part 1: Compose a 25- minute timed SAT style argument essay. Use the rubric to guide your response to this prompt: Is the American Dream possible for all people? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your position on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.Part 2: Review anchor papers with rubric, then determine your own score. (This does not replace teacher evaluation)Part 3: (optional follow-up) Compose a diary entry focused on the American Dream from the perspective of a Colonial Era immigrant. (W.# Narrative Task) | Standards: | RI.11.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information in order to address a question or solve a problem.W.11.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.L.11.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. | Materials: | Teacher Materials: * Teacher directions * Rubric | Student Materials: * SAT Style Essay prompt sheet ...
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...Chicano 10B 22 August 2014 The Struggles of Undocumented Students What is the dream of an Undocumented Student? The dream of an undocumented student is to pursue the American Dream of becoming someone professional and having the opportunity to help their family back in their country. What are the reasons that the government does not want undocumented students to continue pursuing an education after they graduate from High School? The government does not focus on what undocumented students dream of becoming in the future. What they do focus on are the jobs they are taking from our country. Undocumented students are being denied the privilege of attending college because they are unaware of their rights to attend college. Every year, there are many undocumented students from different countries migrating to the United States. They migrate from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala in search for a better life. However, once they arrive to the United States they are faced with many obstacles that they did not know existed. Many undocumented students graduate from high schools, but only a few get the opportunity to pursue the American Dream because they do not have the right documentations. I believe the government should give undocumented student a visa in order for them to pursue their dreams. Chicanos and Latinos students are being affected by this situation because most of them end up going back to their countries. Other students end up working in low wage jobs for example...
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...States. The American job market is competitive. For immigrants, it's virtually impossible to succeed in America; therefore, the girl in “Volar” will not become successful because of the story's setting. First, to begin with, the setting in “Volar” is in a confined apartment in a barrio, or a Spanish-speaking neighborhood. The narrative centers on the daughter who remains unnamed. The girl lives in the barrio and dreams of altering her physical appearance. In her dreams, she is ascending on the rooftop of her apartment building. Each step she takes she feels herself transforming into Supergirl. “My legs would grow long, my arms harden into steel, and my hair would magically go straight and turn a golden color” (Cofer 197). When she awakes from her dream, she's dissatisfied with her Hispanic...
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...The American Dream is still provided today to groups such as the rich and middle class. But for poor people there isn't much you can do. When you're poor there's nothing to get you to your american dream other than a really good job. Back then groups such as the huddled masses, or the poor were not able to get to their american dream because there was no way to get high up in their economy. In some ways you can get to your american dream now, you can get a really good job , make your "career" a success, get a college degree witch allows you to do almost everything. The american dream can be achieved presently because there are more ways to get higher up. The huddled masses couldn't achieve the american dream because they were poor...
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...The American Dream is the idea that each and every single individual has an equal opportunity to achieve success through determination and hard work. America has long been seen as a place where anyone, despite his or her circumstances, can thrive in society as long as he or she puts in enough hard work. However, some now argue that equality is diminishing and being replaced by inequality. In “American Dream? Or Mirage?”, by Michael Kraus, Shai Davidai, and A. David Nussbaum, and “It’s Now the Canadian Dream”, by Nicholas Kristof, the authors discuss the concept of the American dream in very different ways. The authors of “American Dream? Or mirage?” explain and analyze why most Americans are unconcerned with the economic inequality in the...
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...Instructor: Jiang Xiying 2011.5.29 American Dream At the very beginning of movie "The legend of 1900", several words --" He'd look up for a second. A quick glance out to sea and he'd see her. Then he'd just stand there rooted to the spot, his heart racing. And every time every damn time, I swear, he'd turn to us, towards the ship, towards everybody and scream. America!"-- was said to portray how exciting a man felt when he first saw America. It is the "American Dream", as we all know, that keeps attracting different people from different countries to chase their dreams in America. James Truslow Adams once defined the American Dream in 1931, " life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The meaning of the American Dream, however, does not remain the same over the course of history. Nowadays the American Dream, despite its contribution to building a cohesive American experience, has been blamed for over-inflated expectations, because it has done nothing to improve the situation in which the working class is hard to get ahead. Therefore a issue has been raised: Do we still need American Dream? This issue over whether the American Dream is dead is complex and controversial, and different people may hold different views due to their distinct backgrounds. As far as I am concerned, I believe that the American Dream is as significant as it was before. ...
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...What is an American Dream? Base on articles over the years the "American Dream" is different for everyone. Our founding fathers view of the American Dream was freedom and not about materialism. Back then it was about getting rid of slavery and letting people of color equal like everyone else. In the 30's the great depression was happening so people wanted wealth and self sufficiency. The 50's having is was having freedom and democracy. The 90's everyone could attain their version of the dream and not take if for granted. Now where in the 21st century/ 2000's where everything is completely different and the American dream is too. Most people today believe that the American dream is being rich and marry a millionaire. Even though there are many successful people, American dream isn't attainable for all because some weren't considered as people, materialism and social mobility. People like women, former slaves and other disenfranchised groups did not have access to the American dream. Around this time slavery was very popular, wealthy white had all the power. Former slaves, women and other disenfranchised groups were not considered as people, in which they were mistreated, segregated and took...
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...Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Shattered American Dream Every immigrant has a dream, a vision full of hope expecting to make it wherever he goes. In grapes of wrath, they had this vision too. “[People are] movin’ ‘cause they got to. That’s why [we] folks always move. Movin’ cause [we] want somepin better’n what [we] got” (Steinbeck, 128). The American dream was seen as a simple concept by the immigrants in the Grapes of Wrath. According to them, “You can reach anywhere and pick an orange” (Steinbeck, 34). They thought they will just go to California and get plenty of jobs for everyone and get rich. This is highlighted in page 34,”there’s work there and it never gets cold”. What the immigrants did not know was that finding an ideal life in the west was nearly impossible. Additionally, those who were looking for an ideal life were corrupted by the system. In his book, Steinbeck said that the attainment of the American dream was nearly impossible due to the economic instability and constant government interference. The Joads found unpredictable jobs in California (Ownby 73). They failed to achieve the American dream and so they did not succeed in California. Before they migrated from Oklahoma, the Joads had a good life. They had land, a home and money. Their migration was fuelled by their hopes of finding success and a better life in California. The Grapes of Wrath is set during the great depression. The great depression was a result of the inaction by the federal government...
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... by Donald Trump's “They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists,”.Documents such as Deceleration of Independence are all a piece of paper that make a difference in many people's lives.The documents that help the undocumented population are Dream Act, Reform Act of 1986, and America Helping America.The undocumented immigrants population consists with help of the higher power in our government to help access temporary citizenship or work. All these documents help provide immigrants...
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...The American Dream is the ability to access basic human freedoms like justice and free speech. I wouldn’t go as far as saying meritocracy exists as I see in reality that is not the way it works. For the most part, I think the stereotypical definition of the American Dream is an idea people cling to like the last ember on the fire after you have run out of wood to heat the house in the winter. You need it to go on. It helps validate that those crappy jobs you worked for 15 years meant something other than getting screamed at by your boss. It helps us believe that we can have material possessions and higher social status than those before us. I define it as the ability to access basic human freedoms. In America, we have The Constitution of Amendments,...
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...College and the American Dream Jenny Golightly Western Governors University College and the American Dream The term “American Dream” was first introduced by James Truslow Adams in his book “The Epic America”. He felt “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” (American Dream, 2014). For decades, people have lived by the promise that a strong work ethic, dedication, and honesty can lead to a better life. Unfortunately, today, many Americans find this is not the case. No longer does hard work guarantee that one can provide a comfortable lifestyle for their families, save for retirement, or afford to send their children to college. The dream of being able to send their children to college is fading for many Americans and is an example of societal inequality described in the conflict theory. Conflict theory does not view society as a system but as social groups experiencing unequal power, money, and unequal life chances. This leads to struggles and oppression for the lower classes while the upper class continues to prosper. According to Phil Oliff, a policy analyst with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “Higher education attainment is growing increasingly important. Getting a college degree is increasingly a prerequisite for success in the workforce and entry in the middle class” (Sherter, 2013). Statistics have shown that the level of education correlates with the level of earning...
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...Undocumented Students and Access To Higher Education in America Juan M. Galvan Liberty University Abstract This paper exposes the urgency to implement an immigration reform that would eliminate educational and occupational barriers to millions of undocumented students that want to pursue a postsecondary education. The information in this research examines the impact undocumented students may have in society and the economy of this country. There are thousands of undocumented students that graduate high school every year and have no opportunities to pursue a higher education degree, thus increasing the chances of poverty in this country, increase in unemployment and a serious negative shift in the economy. Given the increase role that immigrants and their children play in American society in the coming years, it is essential to give as many young people as possible the opportunity to enroll an succeed in postsecondary education. This should push for policy makers and educators to focus on increasing immigrants’ participation in postsecondary education to ensure the long-run strength of the U.S economy. By providing legal residency or working permit as a condition to earn a degree to contribute to society it will definitely increase this nation’s economy and reduce unemployment and poverty. UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS AND HIGHER EDUCATION The educational system in the United States offers the opportunity to millions of students to receive an education from preschool...
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...Children’s Dreams Come True Immigration has been a heavily debated issue in United States politics for decades. It is a topic that policymakers weigh in on concerns of the nation’s security and its economy. Congress, which is in charge of evaluating laws is unable to effectively resolve an agreement on establishing a reform for immigration, making the decision policies transfer onto the executive branch. The executive’s responsibility to place a definitive reform on immigration will lead to dissatisfaction with the states and local governments. The notion of the immigration system has always been confounding to its own legislature that constitutes regulations on the naturalization process. In these case, children who came here illegally...
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...So has the American dream changed much in the eyes of those still looking for it since the 1960’s? Martin Luther King once said that ‘we must accept finite disappointment, but not lose infinite hope’. That sentence alone speaks for billions of people seeking their American freedom. Some have to go through mountains and mountains of paperwork in order to get a passport or a visa. Even then theres still a 45%-50% chance that that person can get approved for one. Then their are those who don’t have the money to apply. They cross illegally, some make it but others die or get arrested in the attempt. All of these people and families have one thing in common. They want the freedom that their current country doesn't have. Lets focus on the 1960’s....
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