Antonio Olivo and Oscar Avila

Chicago Tribune; November 26,2006

Two Sides of the American Dream

WHAT IS “THE AMERICAN DREAM” TO YOU?

First, let me ask:

What is the American Dream to you?

The American Dream• "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 (James Truslow Adams, 1931)

• Sometimes the Dream is identified with success in sports or how working class immigrants seek to join the American way of life

• Has a different meaning to every U.S. citizen

Two Sides of the American Dream• Two Mexican immigrants, Carlos Nieto and Fidel

Cortez• Started out in the same place, but careers and

lives took different paths

Two Sides of the American Dream

Fidel Cortez• Butcher • 30 years later, still has

not left the kitchen• $30,000 salary• Speaks broken English• Sent 4 children to

college• Owns 2nd house in

Mexico

Carlos Nieto• Busboy • Learned by watching

French chefs• Opened Carlos’• Owns an award

winning horse• Owns a luxurious,

picture-perfect log cabin

WHO DO YOU THINK IS LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM?

So . . .

Are you fulfilling your dream with your children in mind? Or more self-oriented?

Do you think your parents are living their American Dream?

Did they start off their lives with you in mind?

DOES “THE AMERICAN DREAM” MEAN ANYTHING DIFFERENT TO YOU?

Now . . .

Los Angeles Times

“The American Dream: Is it slipping away?

September 27, 2010: ABC News/Yahoo News poll50% : believe the American dream

still holds true43% : believe the American dream

had once been true4% : thought there was never such

a dream(Gregory Rodriquez, 2010)

'If you work hard you'll get ahead'

Respondents with high incomes tended to still believe in the dream more than those with lower incomes

College educated were bigger believers than the less educated

Independent voters believe less than either Democrats or Republicans

Nonwhites are more likely to believe in the dream than are whites

(Gregory Rodriquez, 2010)

Trends in Responses

The idea that a family’s material well-being will only get better over time is simply not sustainable

U.S. is not nearly as economically mobileDecrease in the ability of people to

move up the ladder within a lifetime or from one generation to the next

Decrease in the level of income inequalityDiminishes the size of the middle class

(Gregory Rodriquez, 2010)

Reasons in Decline

As college educated students, what reasons would you provide for supporting the American dream?

Why do you think non-whites believe in the American dream over whites?

Where have you seen an increase in difficulty to move up the economic ladder?

Without competition in the workplace, would there be an incentive to strive? Why or why not?

Aside from economic mobility, what reasons could you provide for the decline in the American Dream?

(Gregory Rodriguez, 2010)

Discussion Questions

Gregory Rodriquez, G. R. (2010, September 27). The american dream: Is it slipping away?. Los Angeles

Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/27/opinion/la-oe-rodriguez-dream-20100927

Avila, Oscar & Antonio Olivo (2006 November, 26). Two Sides of the American Dream. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0611260388nov26,0,4970334.story

5 year old needs a job before getting married - funny! - YouTube

Citation: