Franco Canseco

Per.6

11/20/20

Unit 1-EA 2

From a kid born and raised here in California, United States, I strongly believe that this

so-called ¨American Dream doesn’t exist anymore. America just doesn't give people the access

to that good lifestyle the dream promises anymore not to immigrants nor to some Americans.

Before things seemed to be going great in America as anyone could go and have a good life, but

times change and things don’t work like that anymore

To be with I will talk about a woman Kesaya E. Noda who talks about what she lived

through as well as saw in California. In her essay “Growing Up Asian in America” it states, “The

Japanese fell natural heir to the same anti-Asian prejudice that had arisen against the Chinese. As

soon as they began striking for better wages, they were no longer welcomed.” (pg.34)(paragraph

3) This just goes to show how these Japanese immigrants that came to America looking for the

dream, got jobs, started demanding for better pay, and now are unwelcomed. That is what

America promised, a better life and these immigrants came looking for it only to have the door

shut on them and hated it just doesn't seem fair. A story from another immigrant, Roberto Acuna

talks to Studs Terkel an interviewer about how his life is working as a farmer, the decent job he

found isn't as good as it sounds. In “Roberto Acuna Talks about Farm Workers” from Working

by Studs Terkel it states, “If we had proper compensation we wouldn't have to be working

seventeen hours a day and following the crops.” (pg.87) (paragraph 14) This shows how Roberto

came to California looking for that good life as a farmer in search of getting that dream only to
find a nightmare. The man does back breaking work for 17 hours a day and doesn't even get paid

decently for his work, the dream clearly doesn't exist anymore.

Secondly, immigrants come to get harsh jobs to get treated unfairly. In the poem “Who

Burns for the Perfection of Paper” by Martin Espada it states, “ Then the glue would sting, hand

oozing till both palms burned at the punch clock.” (lines 18-21) A little background on the poem:

this is a 16 year old kid who got a job at a printing plant, which just gave him terrible conditions

to work, work with no safety none of that and didn't even get paid much for the hard work and

pain he went through. As well for Roberto in the nonfiction story, “Roberto Acuna Talks about

Farm Workers” from Working by Stud Terkel it states, “But Growers don't recognize us as

persons. that's the worst thing, the way they treat you.”(pg.87) (paragraph 13) Now I already

mentioned the hard work that Roberto does, he goes through back breaking work for no respect

that is just messed up in so many levels. Doesn't even get compensated well, that isn't what the

dream is about and it's clearly not what the immigrants were looking for.

Thirdly, other than personal sad personal stories of how immigrants came to experience

and see the “dream” only to find emptiness and pain in life, there is even some research that

shows the dream changed. In the essay written by Samuel J. Adams “The American Dream is

Alive and Well” it states, “When Americans were asked what makes the American dream a

reality, they did not select as essential factors becoming wealthy, owning a home or having a

successful career.” (paragraph 5) This shows just how Americans born and raised in America

feel. They feel as if even the American dream isn't having a good life anymore. It is completely

different as times change, the dream changed as well and it isn't for that good life anymore. As

well in the article “Is the American Dream Still Possible?” by David Wallenchinsky he mentions

how the dream changed. According to the text it states, “To be ¨middle class¨ in America once
meant living well and having financial security. But today that comfortable lifestyle is harder to

achieve and maintain.” (pg.60) (paragraph) This shows how before even the middle class had a

good life better than most Americans today, but nowadays it all changed as it no longer exists

today in this economy.

I understand how some may say that the dream still exists as we still have our

amendments to follow for example in “The Bill of Rights: A Transcription” a Historical

Document written by our Founding Fathers, we still obey Amendment 1. According to the text it

states. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the

free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the

people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievance.”

(Amendment 1) This goes to show that part of the American Dream is to be free and have the

right to opportunities here in America that you wouldn't have in other countries. But in the text,

“What is Freedom” written by Jerald M. Jellison and John H. Harvey, they bring up an

interesting topic about freedom. According to the text it states that, “Still, most people have

trouble coming up with a precise definition of freedom. they give answers describing specific

situations- “ Freedom means doing what I want to do, not what the government wants me to

do…” (pg.53) (paragrapgh 7) This shows if we Americans are actually experiencing freedom

that the American Dream mentions or are we just thinking we are free but actually have no

control over it, so technically we aren't as free as we think we are. If we aren't free and the dream

today doesn't promise a good life, America doesn't give us the opportunity to achieve the

American Dream.

Clearly the American does not provide access to the American dream to Americans or

immigrants, with Roberto for example came to America in search for a better life only to find
himself in a job that does not compensate well nor does it at least give him respect with harsh

conditions. The dream is a nightmare for him, he doesn't have it easy. Asking Americans on how

they feel about the American dream they mostly believe that having a good life isn't what it is

anymore, but that's what it stands for. If we really think about it, America doesn't provide access

to the American Dream anymore to most people.