American Dream Interviews

In this selection are posted some interviews when I asked my friends and family about their feelings toward the American dream.

An interview with my Aunt Veronica
Q: How do you think the American dream has driven America?

A:The American dream is prosperity. Everybody wants to have the best for their children, so they're driven to work harder as a result. Everyone is thinking of a better world for the children, so they're working to clean up the earth and make it a more friendly place. Whenever a person runs for office, they make it a point to think about the children and the future.

An interview with my former math teacher, Mr. Sugerik
Q: How have you accomplished your American Dream?

A: I think I'm still in the process of accomplishing it. Let's see American Dream. I don't even think I knew what I wanted until I was outside of college. I thought I knew what I wanted, you know, money, fame, all those tangibles house, car, but I think as you go through life you start to get a better idea of what you want. But for me education is period. I know that sounds corny because you are still in school but I'm going back and finishing my PHD and I will be honest with you. Everything that I've been able to accomplish I've been able to do because of the schooling that I've gone to. If I wanted to quit my job today and ... go be a chef I could do it because of my education. In other words, doors of opportunity pop open based on the level of education you have, and sometimes that's not fair. I think both of us are qualified to be professors at the University. I believe the two of us have enough knowledge to go over there and be better than them. but if you don't have a doctorate at the end of your name, the PhD, you can't even get the job; it's a requirement to get in. So, sometimes, fairly or unfairly, the more education you get, sometimes it's better to sit back and say, 'hmm, I don't know what I wanna do.' rather than have someone say, 'I'm sorry you can't go into this program. You don't have the right requirements' and that's what happens. Many careers are closed because you don't have a degree ... I would say schooling no doubt about it helps get to the American Dream. I don't think I'm there yet.

This is an interview with my father.
Q: How have you accomplished your American Dream?

A: I think I was born into my American dream. I was born into a good family I went to a good school, and went to college. My American Dream was to maintain my lifestyle I guess. The American Dream, I mean when you ask people about the American dream you really have to be from out of the country. The American Dream is being able to dream, to come up with ideas and follow through on those ideas. The American dream isn't necessarily starting a business. it could be starting a family without the fear of an oppressive government. You know you have the dreams of this country. You could work as hard as you want. You can really do whatever you wanna do and you can constantly reinvent yourself.


Reflection:
The American Dream has been tainted over the years from its image of opportunity to an insatiable yearning for material items. Despite this fact my father felt that the true American dream was having the opportunity to be as much as you can be and be given the chance to dream. However, two other people I interviewed felt that the dream was based more upon their lifestyle and their amount of wealth. My Aunt Veronica felt that the dream was base on materialism, which would drive a person to work harder in order to support their family. My former math teacher, Mr. Sugerik, felt that the dream was based upon wealth, and that education was the key to obtaining this. He felt that the dream was the freedom to do what you want with your life, but this came through financial stability.