Caden Eiserman

Mr. Smith

Junior English

10/4/22

The Struggles of the American Dream

46% of Americans say their stress levels come from trying to achieve the ultimate success. In

America, it is considered to be more difficult to achieve the American dream when in a minority

One example of a road block that can be put into consideration while trying to achieve

the American dream is race. Race not only can blind one from someone's true selves, but can

also give false information and create stereotypes relating to the individual as well as the

community as a whole. As John Cho says in his statement, throughout the past couple years,

Asian Americans have been dealing with racism as well as harassment due to the coronavirus

pandemic. As he says, “Asian Americans are experiencing such a moment right now. The

pandemic is reminding us that our belonging is conditional. One moment we are

Americans, the next we are all foreigners, who “brought” the virus here.” As John Cho

explains, not only is every Asian American being grouped together as if they all were born in

Asia but, they all had something to do with this current pandemic, and they have been falsely

blamed for the reason it has made its way to America. But also having to feel ashamed of who

they are. Not only does race affect the chances of achieving the American Dream, but the

struggles of financial issues and not holding up the “standard” American household. As it says in

“The House on Mango Street”“Once when we were living on Loomis, a nun from my school

passed by and saw me playing out front. The Laundromat downstairs had been boarded up

because it had been robbed two days before and the owner had painted on the wood YES
WE’RE OPEN so as not to lose business. Where do you live? she asked. There, I said,

pointing up to the third floor. Do you live there? There. I had to look to where she pointed-

the third floor, the paint peeling, wooden bars Papa had nailed on the windows so it

wouldn't fall out. Do you live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing. There. I

lived there. I nodded.”I thought the significance of this quote was that not only did the nun judge

Sandra for her and where she lived, but the way it made her feel. As Sandra exclaimed, “The

way she said, it made me feel like nothing.” Sandra felt ashamed and embarrassed of where

she lived just because of the appearance, but not knowing the full truth of why this house

was so significant to her and her family. Being in a minority or being considered to be

“different” can open so many doors for people to think less of you just because of that fact. They

can make up stereotypes because of the color of your skin, or even judge you based on how

much your house looks. This causes doubt and disbelief that it's possible for everyone to achieve

the American dream.

The American Dream seems to become harder to achieve when a family is struggling

financially and unable to keep up with the “standards” of succeeding. Throughout the video,

people explain the hardships and struggles of maintaining a constant comfort of making sure

their bills are paid or more importantly, their debt is paid off. As it says, “I'm actually having to

work three jobs and my husband works three jobs as well, and we're still not able to get ahead”.

No matter the work load or effort you try to put a stop to your constant worry of money

problems, they seem to keep building the more you try. As the years go on our economy grows

and people in the middle/lower class are being left behind with nothing to help or solve. I believe

this is also demonstrated in “I Hear Singing” when it explains the “voices of America aren't the

people, but what we do as a job. As it says “I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong, The carpenter singing

his as he measures his plank or beam.” What this quote explains is not what our lives actually

mean, but what we are meant to do for our country. This poem shows the importance of having a

job in this modern society and without it, you may not have an important role in this country.

Both texts are able to show why achieving American is difficult with and without a job, even

when trying so hard to get ahead.

Being of a different race, gender or financial status can cause limitations to achieve the higher

goal of the “American Dream”. No matter the work or effort being put in to achieve, the final

goal of success can be thrown away with either the appearance of your skin or the yearly income

of your job.

Works Cited
 ABC News, ABC News Network,

https://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/pennsylvania-firefighter-works-jobs-support-family-pa

rt-44772397?fbclid=IwAR14ZqoHgqNUSitUDeS_-lwnP_I9_Q9U2wJkfbP0JNNEPypPpw

teel-lTHY. Accessed 4 Oct. 2022.

“John Cho ‘Asian Hate in America.’” Google Drive: Sign-In, Google,

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i0IRMYGjnUK-wUi2h-g7RL3gQqrmGjFz/view?usp=shari

ng.

Hughes, Langston. “I, Too'' by Langston Hughes.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation,

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47558/i-too.

“House on Mango Street Excerpts 2022.” Google Docs, Google,

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ACpMlPwksi4jdozYOixd7ayptW62uenM0Rv1CNxt

-AA/edit?usp=sharing.
 Skill Advanced Proficient Foundational Not
Yet

Thesis establishes a Appears in first Identifies a topic

complex claim paragraph

Thesis establishes a topic

and a claim

Thesis
Comments:

Includes specific, Includes multiple pieces Includes two or

meaningful, and of evidence (from 4 fewer sources
well-chosen evidence sources) that clearly
that relates to the thesis relate to the thesis Some evidence
relates to the thesis
Includes multiple pieces
Evidence of evidence in each body
paragraph

Comments:

Explains well-selected Explains how evidence Summarizes sources

points of comparison supports topic sentence of
among sources and individual paragraphs
evidence and their
connection to the thesis Explains how evidence
Analysis supports the thesis of the
essay

Comments:
 Clearly explains Explains how the Little connection
relationships among texts/sources are related, between texts;
texts (how they confirm though points could be difficult for the
or challenge each other, more selective or better reader to see how
build on each other, developed the texts are related
Synthesis provide differing
perspectives, etc.) Includes multiple sources
in each body paragraph

Comments:

No errors in MLA format Heading is correctly Some elements

formatted missing or some
errors in MLA format
Pages are numbered

In-text citations are

correctly formatted

MLA Format Works Cited format:

hanging indent,
double-spaced,
alphabetized, starts on a
new page

Works Cited: each source

entry is in correct MLA
format
Comments:

All quotes are correctly Most quotes are correctly Shows evidence of
integrated integrated basic proofreading

Conventions Shows evidence of Follows essay organization

careful proofreading
Shows evidence of
proofreading

Comments:
Caden

Some improvements to consider:

● Your thesis needs to be the driving force of the essay. Your 2nd body

paragraph doesn’t seem to relate to your thesis

● You need to introduce the texts, and make sure that you get the

titles correct

● Analysis needs to better consider the text itself, rather than just

“things in general”

If you’d like to revise, I’d recommend coming to chat with me so we can

go over a few more points of improvement.

Grade: C