American Dream Thesis

Taylor Smith

Mrs. Gothard

Eng 122

Due: 02/13/18 Essay 1: Outline

Some refer to the American dream being a white picket fence and three children and a dog, so in other words; the suburbia culture. But if one refers to what the United States was initially founded upon, which is freedom from the confines of the United Kingdom’s grasp; to have the freedom to your own religion and way of life, defining the American dream as one subculture is sort of, dare I say, “un-American”. Technically the term was invented in 1931, by the historian James Truslow Adams. The 1929 Stock Market crash sent America into a growing depression, soon to become The Great Depression, and had sent twelve million workers into unemployment by 1932. This

It is harder for low income families to afford school. 35 percent of the job openings will require at least a bachelor's degree; 30 percent of the job openings will require some college or an associate's degree; 36 percent of the job openings will not require education beyond high school (Georgetown University Center on Education). Four-year degree holders captured an increasing share of the nation's well-paying jobs during the last quarter century -- holding 55 percent of them in 2015 compared to 40 percent in 1991 (Inside Higher Ed)

The accessibility of “good paying” jobs is not the same to everyone in America. Undocumented immigrants, even if they have lived here their whole lives, have less ability to work for the system and work their way to the top through education and other factors. Undocumented immigrants usually work for low-paying jobs that don't require certifications, like hospitality jobs that most native-born Americans don't want. These kind of jobs require to work harder and get payed less, which is the opposite of what I consider to be a “good job”.

In different parts of America, a good job is dependent on many different factors, like the amount of money required to survive comfortably. California, for example, . In order to own a house and raise a family in California, one has to

A household would need to make about $78,000 a year to reasonably afford a home at that price, assuming a 20 percent down payment. Almost two thirds of the state's households make less than $78,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Assumptions: Buyer pays 20 percent down payment. Interest rate of 4 percent on a 30-year mortgage. Annual property taxes and insurance equal 1.2% of home price. Household pays no more than 29 percent of annual gross income on housing payments. Fixed text above graphic at 3 PM on 3/12 to note that almost two-thirds of California households earn less than $78,000 annually.

Zillow

California’s minimum wage is 10.50 an hour. A full time, 40 hour a week minimum wage worker makes only 21,840 annually. This would mean you’d have to work 4 more of those jobs to afford a home.

Does the US need a new dream?

No, as long as it is applied correctly, or how it was initially meant to be applied, it can and should serve everyone’s potential

If yes how do you define