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Jessica Bui

Dr. Cruz Medina

English 1A

1 November 2023

Challenging the American Dream & Meritocracy

Meritocracy is one’s belief in a system or society where individuals' success, status, and

opportunities are mostly decided by their own abilities, talents, and efforts rather than by factors

like status in society, family history, or inherited privilege. However, many people, including first

generation students, may believe the opposite, such as Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez. She

reveals how “gatekeeping” and segregation are important factors of not being able to succeed as

well as your peers. In Capo Crucet’s book, My Time Among the Whites, the harsh reality of the

American Dream during her education in Nebraska is exposed at a deeper level through

Rodriguez’s lens of meritocracy, revealing how people of color may experience discrimination

from education due to racism and class. The American Dream is inaccessible due to segregation

that keeps people of color from the resources they need.

Capo Crucet’s realization that being a white passing latina gave her privileges in the

world relates to Rodriguez’s view of privilege and opportunity. Crucet concluded during her

experience in Nebraska that having pale skin had been a privilege that she had abused and that it

had kept her out of difficult situations throughout the years. She mentions, "White people who

misread me as also white sometimes display the kind of pervasive racism usually reserved for

white-spaces" (Crucet, 52). Crucet demonstrates how racism can exist in various forms and that

it's not solely based on one's self-identification but also on how others perceive and treat them. In

explaining how meritocracy is a myth, Rodriguez brings up how class plays a role in having
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advantages and opportunities. She says, "This system benefits white, wealthy parents because

their kids are isolated in a bubble of privilege, and it benefits schools because they get more

funding” (Rodriguez, 77). Crucet's experience with “pervasive” prejudice when misidentified as

White puts into doubt the idea of meritocracy. It implies that racial bias may have an impact on

how people are perceived and evaluated, which may limit their chances of developing according

to their true ability. Crucet demonstrates how white people are valued higher in society, and she

had to blend in with her peers in order to feel like she was treated fairly. That is what Rodriguez

wanted to do when she said how this “system benefits white wealthy parents.” While Rodriguez's

quote explores the systemic elements of privilege and segregation inside the school “system,”

Crucet's quote focuses on how her racial identity affects how she is treated. When taken as a

whole, they show how complex and broad racial inequality and privilege are in American

culture, and how they affect people's experiences as individuals and as students.

Furthermore, Capo Crucet recalling her mom dealing with racism due to language

barriers and expectations of teachers can be related to Rodríguez's perspective that there are

certain expectations and characteristics that individuals must possess to achieve success. Crucet

recalls her mom’s unpleasant childhood recollection of a teacher who refused to let her use the

restroom despite her pleading in this quote: "That suffering is what earns us the right to call

ourselves Americans! It made us stronger, you will someday tell these two children of yours after

relating horrific stories of how in first grade you were made to pee in your chair for not having

the English words to ask the teacher—who shook her head at your begging in Spanish and said,

‘Maria, you must ask in English,’ her directive not even hinting at the noun you needed to

say—to use the bathroom, the word bathroom a key you were to conjure from nothing" (Crucet

28). The story of Crucet's mother serves as a metaphor for a first-generation American child who
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is fed the "American Dream" idea against their will. Rodriguez explains that success requires a

set of expectations and qualities that one must possess in this quotation: “Gatekeeping taught

these adults which traits were indicative of success, and they perpetuated them onto us,”

(Rodriguez, 69). Rodriguez makes it clear that working hard won't cut it and will only wear you

out. This is a result of your diligent efforts to attain something that has never been within your

grasp. Maria's story brings to light the hardships and misfortune encountered by non-native

English speakers. According to the texts, going through this hardship is seen to be necessary in

order to claim an American identity and that it might actually make people stronger. Maria's

experiences in the school, particularly her language barriers, are a moving example of this pain.

Rodriguez talks about the concept of "gatekeeping," in which some people decide which

characteristics are successful. This suggests that in order to succeed, people have to stick to

specific standards and traits. Those who fall short of these standards will have more difficulty

succeeding. Maria's difficulties in the classroom, where the teacher's insistence on asking

questions in English, is an example of enforcing such expectations which might be linked to the

gatekeeping process.

Additionally, Crucet’s acknowledgement to how most first-generation students come

from rural backgrounds relates to how Rodriguez discusses the necessity of having parents with

stable careers in order to succeed. Crucet highlights how she and her “first-gen” students have a

common identity. She acknowledges that they are all born from first-generation parents. She

says, “I had this in common with them, but there was a key difference: Many of these first-gen

students came from rural backgrounds, from families where work centered on cattle and corn. I'd

grown up in Miami, had gone to a high school whose population rivaled that of some entire

Nebraskan towns. With the last few weeks of summer ahead of me, I decided that to be better at
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my job, I needed to see the real Nebraska, whatever that meant” (Crucet, 100). In explaining the

different privileges that students face, Rodriguez brings up the ideal type of parents you need to

succeed. She says, “This was not a competition for who could work harder to get an A; this was

about whose parents had provided their kids with enough access to succeed at this academic

level,” (Rodriguez, 80). “Many of these first-gen students came from rural backgrounds”

essentially show that first-generation students, who experience differing degrees of privilege and

“access” to resources depending on their familial histories, may find it difficult to achieve the

American Dream and meritocracy. They challenged the idealized story of equal opportunity in

American culture by bringing attention to the differences in “academic” outcomes. Crucet and

Rodriguez emphasize the significance of pursuing a higher degree while having “enough access

to succeed at this academic level.” It emphasizes how crucial guidance is to the academic success

of first-generation students.

Lastly, Crucet’s recalls when Trump made his presidential campaign revolve around

Mexicans, threatening to deport them relates to Rodriguez’s mention of gatekeepers that deflect

blame onto the working-class and working-poor. Crucet refers to Trump's derogatory remarks

regarding Mexican immigrants made during his announcement of his presidential campaign in

this quote: “This was the summer of 2015, and this call took place just days before Trump

announced his run at the Republican nomination by slandering all Mexicans as rapists and

murderers” (Crucet, 99). Rodriguez uses the concept of “gatekeepers” to demonstrate why

“meritocracy” is false. She mentions, “Gatekeepers use the myth of meritocracy to distract busy

working-class and working-poor folks with so much self-blame when they fall short that they

will not think to revolt against their oppressors” (Rodríguez 63). In Rodríguez's quote, the topic

of “gatekeepers” is addressed more thoroughly. Though it doesn't specifically mention Trump, it

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does apply to his style of politics. Trump's presidential campaign and administration frequently

promoted the idea that success depended only on an individual's ability and hard work. This in

turn led to a culture of self-criticism among marginalized communities by shifting the blame for

socioeconomic gaps onto those who did not succeed. Trump's immigration restrictions and other

policies were perceived as gatekeeping tactics that further discriminated against and excluded

vulnerable groups, like the Hispanic community.

In conclusion, Meritocracy, the belief that success is determined by one's abilities and

efforts rather than social factors, is often challenged by individuals like Prisca Dorcas Mojica

Rodríguez. She emphasizes the role of "gatekeeping" and segregation in hindering success,

especially for first-generation students. In Jennifer Capó Crucet's book, "My Time Among the

Whites," Rodríguez's perspective reveals how racism and class can prevent people of color from

achieving the American Dream through limited access to education and resources. This

segregation keeps them from the opportunities they need.

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Work Cited:

Crucet, Jennine Capó. My Time Among the Whites: Notes from an Unfinished Education.

Picador, 2019.

Mojica Rodríguez, Prisca Dorcas. For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts: A Love

Letter to Women of Color. Seal Press, 2021.