Spa Night is a movie that tackles many social issues that plague America today. It shines light on the struggle of first generation immigrants, the perception of the “American Dream”, the hardships of people who are apart of multiple minorities, the struggle of sexuality and coming out, and much more. The story is set in Los Angeles. A young boy named David is the son of two immigrant parents. They came to the US from Korea before David was born. As a family they owned and managed a restaurant. One day, while the film does not actually say why, they are forced to close down their family business and find work elsewhere. After this, the mother easily finds a job working as a waitress in their church friend’s restaurant. This is not the case for the father, who struggles greatly finding a job. This also shows what it is like for some families that have the mother as the primary “bread-winner”. It shows how the father struggles with his masculinity and feels inadequate when he is unable to find work as easily. He then turns to drinking, which spirals him down even further. While the family is struggling with financial hardship, the parents attempt to focus on their son’s future. They enroll him in as SAT prep …show more content…
It shows that life for first-generation immigrants is not easy. It is hard. Especially if you are not legal. If you are to find a job, it is very possible that you will be paid less than you are worth. You do not receive benefits. The “American Dream” is something that most people coming into the country strive for. In reality, it is not always as attainable as it is advertised to be. Immigrants are treated much different than anyone that is already a citizen. Supporting oneself, much less a family is near impossible without a steady source of income, and that is something that is not necessarily available to all first-generation
The film’s brilliance lies in the choice to show three distinct familial units with varying and different responses to their disadvantaged circumstances. The three boys who are the main subject of this film each experience a set of challenges and disadvantages associated with growing up in poverty. Appachey lives with his mother and younger siblings and has little to no adult supervision because his single mother must work long hours to support the family. Harley lives with his grandmother because his mother is incarcerated for attempting to kill the man who sexually abused her son. Harley suffers from anger and personality disorders and has a difficult time fitting in at school. Andrew lives with his father, mother and sister but is subject to repeated and frequent moves due his father’s inability to secure stable employment. His mother also suffers from significant mental illness and bouts of manic
I believe that the American Dream nowadays, is just a short, redefined version of living a middle class lifestyle. But, for others, the dream might simply mean escaping poverty and giving their children a better life. The American Dream, however, is in my opinion not only applicable to natural born citizens but to legal and illegal immigrants as well. I’m swayed to think this way because my parents are living their own, redefined version of the American Dream. They came to America to escape the poverty that Mexico had to offer, they were in need of food, money, a home and a better life for my sister who was only one at the time.
The American Dream has become a motive for success for both Americans and immigrants. The dream is what draws foreigners to America and what keeps Americans living in America. For some, it means living in a land of opportunities, owning a house with a family, having a stable job, or becoming rich. The American Dream has been, and continues to be a foundation built of both ideals and hopes of Americans and immigrants. The American Dream can be defined by breaking the ideal of class distinction. The ability to go beyond what is expected of your class level, means achieving the American Dream. When Mexican immigrants first arrive in America, they belong to the lower class, only because of their rough start in Mexico. Although they have started out rough, the families from Mexico are on their way to achieve their American Dream. They are on the path to breaking free of the lower class and becoming part of middle-class. Their possibility of an increase quality of life is higher than in Mexico. The drive for an enhanced life is a main part in the drive for the American Dream.
Yunior’s fathers only concern was obtaining the “American Dream” job security, financial stability, and owning his own home. Yunior’s childhood memory of his father are vague; they have no bond or connection, to Yunior he’s just a stranger. “ He’d come to our home house in Santo Domingo in a busted up taxi and the gifts he had brought us were small things-toys guns and tops-that we were too old for, that we broke right away.” (Diaz, 129). For a young man growing up without a father figure has a profound effect on them that lasts way into manhood. “Boys need a father figure to learn how to be a man, without having this influence in their lives, boys are at risk of growing into men who have problems with behaviors, emotional stability, and relationships with both significant others and their own children.”
First, what is the American dream? According to David Wallechinsky, “the traditional American Dream is based on the belief that hardworking citizens can improve their lives, pay their monthly bill without worry, give their children a start to an even better life, and still save enough to live comfortably after they retire” (1). “The American Dream” states, “It has always represented the possibility for individuals to succeed and live a life of wealth and comfort, made possible by both the political and economic attitudes in the USA and the individual’s own hard work” (1). Daniella Nicole adds that “in years past, chasing the American Dream meant the sky was the limit. . .” (1). “At the core of the concept is the individual’s responsibility to aim for and achieve the American dream by working hard and taking advantage of the freedom offered to them by the country” (“The American Dream” 1). “A recent nationwide survey from LearnVest found that 43 percent of Americans today feel the dream is attainable for everyone - and about the same percentage feels that it’s within their grasp, personally,” notes Camille Noe Pagan. “For American Dreamers today,” states Nicole, ...
The "American dream" is different for every person. To some it means financial success, to others it means freedom of expression, while others dream to practice their religion without fear. The "American dream" is a complex concept providing immigrants with the hope of better life. The U.S. government provides the environment and resources for everyone to pursue their dreams. Each year millions of people around the world apply for the Diversity Visa lottery program provided by the U.S. government, however only a few thousand people are lucky enough to come here. America is the place where people are judged by their achievements instead of having references or connections. Even though the American economy is in recession and the achieving of the American Dream is harder, many immigrants still achieve religious, political, financial, and sports dreams here in the U.S.
There are various individuals throughout the world who believe that the American Dream cannot be achieved by all people. Those who agree with this view believe that our culture contains too many roadblocks and obstacles. Some of these obstacles include prejudice, poverty, and social inequality. Another view on this matter is that others believe that America is the “Land of Opportunity”. They also believe that if you can believe it, you can achieve it. Back in the early 20th century, The American Dream meant something to people; nowadays it is a term that various people loosely throw around. The American Dream is not realistic because it is not attainable to everyone like Cal Thomas presumes and although education, budget cuts and lack of employment may seem of some concern to only a small group of people, it should in fact concern anyone who cares about the status of the economy.
Everybody has their own definition of living the “American Dream” and although they have their own definition, they all end up saying the same things. A big house, a family, enough money to feed their family and do other things around town, a job, success, peace, love, and happiness are all things that qualifies one for living the American dream. Some people however, do not believe in the American dream because it is hard to achieve even if you are taking all the right steps to achieve it. In these two articles “What is the American Dream in 2016”, and “The American Dream is Alive – These People Prove It”, you will be able to identify both attitudes towards the American dream.
In Mary’s household, her two sons and daughter are dependent on her. Mary is head of the household and is currently going through a divorce. Mary is close to losing her house, car, and internet services. She hires babysitters for the days/nights that she has to work. Her children know that times are tough, and continuously encourage their mother. However, her son Quinn is dealing with the divorce and poor living in
The American Dream is known to be a hope for a better, richer, happier life for all citizens of every class. For almost all Americans, this entails earning a college degree, gaining a good job, buying a house, and starting a family. Although this seems wonderful, a large amount of the American population believes that the Dream has changed immensely because of increased prices in today’s society, the price of tuition being highly unaffordable, as well as the unemployment rate skyrocketing and weaker job growth. While some American citizens believe it has changed, others believe that the American Dream has not changed, but point out it is harder to obtain.
The American Dream, is what every immigrant looks for when coming to the United States. But it's not all it seems to be. There are consequences, stereotypes and pressure put on the children of these immigrants. 40% of children in immigrant families have at least one parent who is mexican born. As stated by Childtrends.org. This means 40 out of 100 children have pressure on them whether it's by their parents (because they are immigrants) or by society by placing stereotypes.
The American Dream is so important to our country and especially for our generation to take seriously. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life you have always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. The American Dream was much easier to attain a few decades ago compared to today. However, it is still possible. The economy was better fifty years ago than it is today. People are in greater debt now and the United States is in higher debt than it was fifty years ago. The American Dream is still possible despite the lack of improvement within social mobility in American society over the past years. The American dream is achievable by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and that lifestyle is obtainable through hard work and perseverance, even in light of obstacles such as racism. “The American Dream is still achievable, however, the good news is that people at the bottom are just as likely to move up the income ladder today as they were 50 years ago” (O’Brien 1). The ability to attain the American Dream is hindered by race, the middle class, and giving up facing adversity.
What is the American Dream? When this question was asked on the first day of class, there were many different answers as to what makes up the American Dream. Some people said having a good job, having a nice home, and making good money. While others said living in a country where one has political freedom, we have equal rights, and there is safety for children. Educational opportunities, such as going to college as came up in the discussion. However, the components of the dream, can be different for each person, especially for those who are migrating to this country. One example was found, in an article that appeared in the newspaper USA Today, titled "Immigrants Want Land of Opportunity". In this article different people give their versions and opinions of the American Dream. Jesse Valdez tells the story of how her mother came into this country from Mexico, in hopes of finding a better life. However the better life was not for her it was for her children. She gave up ever
Today’s parents have a different definition of the American dream. Their dreams are to provide the best for their children and to give them a better life than they had. America is a dream destination where immigrants go and live a better lifestyle; their American Dream is the promise of a better life, and that goes for anyone who envisions an American dream. The ultimate American dream for immigrants is simply to live in America, but for American born citizens this dream does not apply to
Immigrants and minorities in America associate the American dream with opportunity, a good job and a home with a white picket fence. The United States offers democracy and a more liberal society that provides more opportunity than many other countries. Through home ownership and entrepreneurship, immigrants have helped to grow the U.S. economy and improve the economic condition of their communities and families, but immigrants continue to face barriers to higher education. The American dream has many different meanings. Natural born citizens often view the American dream as, financial security, freedom and even family.