The American Dream An Unfortunate Nightmare - 1235 Words

The American Dream: An unfortunate Nightmare Institutionalized racism: the big elephant in the room. By definition, institutionalized racism is â€Å"Any action, intentional or unintentional, that is based on race or skin color and that subordinates an individual or group based on skin color or race is racism† says professor Vernellia R. Randall( cite). Institutionalized racism exist in ever facet of our society. They’re many cases where a decision was made based on someones race. For example: discrimination in the housing market. Especially in America, racism can still be seen very clearly. The housing market is riddled with prejudice and discrimination. Racism is woven into the very fabric of America’s being. Dating back to slavery, mistreatment of the Chinese during the construction of the railroads, and more recently, discrimination against Mexican immigrants. America’s past is stained by the blood of Native Americans, the sweat of African Americans an d the combined tears of those who have suffered because of their skin color. Racism breeds prejudices, and prejudices allows discrimination to take root. From prejudices and discrimination, institutionalized and systematic racism are cast into the world. These two can be equated to diseases. America is sick, sick with racism, poverty, sexism, and many more. Racism specifically is like a super bug. We, as a country, are always looking for a cure for racism. However, racism is always changing, metamorphosing into somethingShow MoreRelatedMy Life Journey995 Words   |  4 Pagescrossed the river, we had to change into dry clothes because our clothes were soaking wet and continued our journey. But it wasn’t that easy because being just a kid, at the age of Six years old, I was chasing the American dream. Crossing illegally into the United States has some unfortunate consequences. I was going to pay, the effects with my life as we were running I felt a sharp pain in my right leg, muscle spasms spread throughout my whole right leg as I was falling. My mothers swift reactionRead MoreA False Image Of Freedom : The American Dream1515 Words   |  7 PagesA False Image of Freedom: The American Dream The American Dream has been a beacon of hope for people in the US for decades now, and has inspired them to seek a lifestyle that excels their current one. However, this idealistic belief possesses a biased and dishonest nature that is undetectable to those blinded by this idea . F. Scott Fitzgerald, through his novel The Great Gatsby, lifts the veil on this American Nightmare, and shows readers it’s true nature. Rooted directly to the Declaration ofRead MoreI Dream1534 Words   |  7 Pagesthe American Dream. Since James Truslow Adams coined the term â€Å"American Dream† in1931 (Wiki), a hope for the fulfillment of â€Å"life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.† Yet, in this era, the harsh reality of poverty threatened life, restricted liberties, and covered happiness with dust. As FDR put it so well, â€Å"For too many of us life was no longer free; liberty no longer real; men could no longer follow the pursuit of happiness.† (Teslow Lecture) So w hy would Adams conceive of the â€Å"American Dream†Read MoreThe American Dream : A Home On The Corner With The White Picket Fence And Big Oak Tree847 Words   |  4 PagesOwning that little home on the corner with the white picket fence and big oak tree in the front yard has always been the American dream, but for some unfortunate home owners hit by the recession and housing crisis several years ago, it now seemed more like a nightmare. Imagine, after years of hard work, finally having your very own home only to have it ripped out from under you through foreclosure or short sale. This very scenario happened to countless thousands in towns across the country. Read MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the American Dream1456 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Gatsby and the American Dream      Ã‚   Websters dictionary describes the American dream as the widespread aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did.   F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel The Great Gatsby is a literary masterpiece that takes a fascinating look at the nature of the American dream that made its fiery inception during the American War of Independence 1776-83 when it became the central theme of the American Declaration of Independence.  Ã‚   In short, it stated, weRead MoreThe Product Of A Dollar1480 Words   |  6 PagesThe Product of a Dollar Each and every day a basic monetary unit profoundly influences the lives of every American. The dollar has more influence over our lives than religion. An individual’s unique direction in life is contingent upon the presence and abundance of the dollar. This dollar creates a divide between the wealthy and less fortunate. The dollar demands that we spend almost half of our entire existence moving like clockwork to obtain it. It influences where we live, what we use to fuelRead MoreAnalysis Of Demarginalizing The Intersection Of Race And Sex849 Words   |  4 PagesJames Baldwin, where she states: â€Å"I was Black. I was female†¦Nobody was dreaming about me. Nobody was even studying me except as something to wipe out.† She did not exist in the American dream apart from being a nightmare, or even worse a blank, and Black women, in this case, are the blank. This illustrates that African American women have a distinctive experience in comparison to those who are not b lack and female (Collins, 2000). In her book â€Å"Women, Race, and Class†, Angela Davis starts the first chapterRead MoreThe Ways in Which Steinbeck Explores the Concept of the American Dream in Of Mice and Men1384 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ways in Which Steinbeck Explores the Concept of the American Dream in Of Mice and Men The American Dream was a dream that nearly everyone had throughout the twentieth century. It was hope for a better life and people believed strongly that it would come true. The main characters in Of Mice Men have a dream which was to get a plot of land and live on it and become self-sufficient. The American Dream was not an achievable goal for many people. Steinbeck shows thisRead MoreFree Enterprise System1744 Words   |  7 PagesThe Free Enterprise System How the American System has changed Togar Johnson The ‘American Dream’ has recently transformed into the American nightmare. More and More people are retiring broke and are looking for some type of financial assistance either from families, government, or continuing to work past retirement.  Not every American has the skill set to run a successful business, but more often than not, most Americans do possess a skill set that can be used to create individual wealthRead MoreA Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah1455 Words   |  6 PagesThe image of a decorated war hero is one that Americans are quite familiar with. Many people are taught to honor and thank soldiers for offering their service; however, how many of them think about the psychological damage that these soldiers deal with due to the trauma of their duties? Unfortunately, few people consider the negative effects of war because of they have misconceptions and romantic notions surrounding war. Our society is flooded with these false notions. The inundation of violent video