The American Dream and Equal Oppurtunity

The American Dream is an idea that gives hope and pride to many Americans. It rests on the idea that anyone can make in the land of opportunity. All that needs to be done is to run, jump, and to never give up. The idea of the American dream promotes rugged individualism and how if one works hard enough, one can reach the height of success. This idea rests on the premise that there is equal opportunity for all. The question to be answered is does America provide that equal opportunity or is it simply a figment of the American imagination? Today, this question is going to be answered with the facts that acknowledge income inequality and mobility, race inequality, and gender inequality. Based upon these inequalities the American ideal of equal opportunity is simply a figment of the American imagination. Though, it can be conceded that the ideal of the American dream can be attained, but some have to work harder to reach that height of success.

Income inequity is becoming a staple of the new American economy. United States income inequality has been steadily increasing since the 1970’s. (Desilver, 2013) The top .1 percent owns nearly as much wealth as the bottom 90%. (Monaghan, 2014) If the trend of growing income inequity continues, this gap between the very rich and the poor will continue to increase. A fact integral to the American dream is that is attainable for all. Does this growing income inequality affect the attainment of the American dream? The answer is yes. This will be seen later.  Even with a wide gap between the rich and the poor, income mobility or being able to change income statuses is an important factor towards the verity of the American dream and the idea of opportunity equality. This being stated, income mobility is imperative to being able to achieve the American dream regardless of income inequity. Simply stated if you work hard it should pay off. This fact means that poor children should be just as likely to become rich or stay poor, and rich children should be just as likely to become poor or stay rich. This is depart from reality. According to the Pew Center, children in the bottom 10%-50% are less likely to make more than their parents unlike their counterparts within the 50% -90%. (Grusky, 2015)  This means that regardless of work ethic children born into more wealth are likely to maintain if not increase that wealth. Essentially, this means that being born into wealth is an advantage over the lack of it.  This translates into equal opportunity being a non-reality due to wealth inequity. Essentially, less well-off children have to work harder to get to the same place; this negates the idea of equitable opportunity upon which the American Dream rests.

What must be recognized is that race does affect the attainment of the American dream. Now, the subject of race disenfranchisement is obviously a complex and multilayered issue, but what is discussed will only pertain to the ideology of equal opportunity. According to the Pew Center, unemployment in the black community is consistently twice that of whites. (Desilver, 2013) In addition to this reality, having a black-sounding name makes one less likely to be called back for an interview. Income mobility for black people is significantly lower than that of whites. (Rodrigue, 2015) Half of black people born into poverty stay poor. In addition, black children born into middle-class families are economically downwardly mobile. (Rodrigue, 2015)  Based upon these statistics and studies, African-Americans are at a considerable disadvantage towards their white counterparts. This works itself out in it being more difficult for black people to achieve the American dream.

Gender inequality also significantly affects access to oppurtunity. Women make 80% of what their male counterparts make. (Miller, 2016) This is partially due to the social effect of gender in the workforce. Many low paying service and clerically oriented jobs are gendered as for the female.  Although even when women work the same high-paying jobs, they are often paid less than their male counterparts. In addition,  the idea of glass ceiling must be taken into account. This essentially means that due to gender women are less likely to reach their full height of success. It is much the opposite for male counterparts, who ride a glass escalator to the top. This is even true in predominantly female occupations. Males have an easier time of riding the said glass escalator to success. (Barkan, 2012) It can be seen that women face a harder time with achieving the American dream, and they significantly lose out on access to equal opportunity. It must be realized that women of color have the double burden of not only lack of access to opportunity for their gender but also for their color.

The American dream is a not as beautiful as it can be perceived. While America is to an extent the land of opportunity where anyone can reach their dreams, it must be realized that due to factors out of one’s control, some have to work harder than others. The ideal of equal opportunity is not true.  Dreams of total equality of opportunity still remain in the mind of America. The question lies in will that ever be achievable. It is possible, but maybe not likely. For now, the American populace must cling to the belief that the American dream is possible, but access to it is more difficult for some. That is fact that cannot be overlooked. The American dream is quite real, if not equally accessible.

Works Cited

Barkan, S. E. (2012). Sociology: Brief Edition. Creative Commons.

DeSilver, D. (2013, August 21). Black unemployment rate is consistently twice that of whites. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/08/21/through-good-times-and-bad-black-unemployment-is-consistently-double-that-of-whites/

DeSilver, D. (2013, December 05). U.S. income inequality, on rise for decades, is now highest since 1928. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/12/05/u-s-income-inequality-on-rise-for-decades-is-now-highest-since-1928/  

Grusky, D. B. (2015, June). Economic Mobility in the United States (P. A. Mitnik, Ed.). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/assets/2015/07/fsm-irs-report_artfinal.pdf

Miller, K. (2016, Fall). The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (Fall 2016). Retrieved December 11, 2016, from http://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/

 Monaghan, A. (2014, November 13). US wealth inequality - top 0.1% worth as much as the bottom 90%. Retrieved December 11, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/13/us-wealth-inequality-top-01-worth-as-much-as-the-bottom-90