Definition of American Dream

In the early 17th century, English Puritan settlers who were being persecuted in their homelands settled in the coast eastern United States. As time went by, more European settlers arrived, mainly Germans, Dutch and French. In the following centuries, different waves of migration occurred from all corners of the planet. America is a nation host, in which millions of people have found great opportunities.

It is in this historical framework where the idea of ​​the American dream, in English American dream, must be contextualized. Like other concepts, this one can be interpreted from two very different perspectives.

A welcoming land where it is possible to dream of a better life

Americans are generally proud of their nation and its history. This feeling of pride gets off manifest in some national slogans, such as "the land of the opportunity", "the style of American life "(American way of life), the" manifest destiny "or the same" dream American".

For those new settlers who have found a new

chance it is possible to affirm that the United States is a nation where individual dreams can become reality.

There are many examples that show this circumstance:

1) the arrival of Irish Catholics in 1848 when there was a poor potato harvest in Ireland,

2) the migration massive number of Italians in the 19th and 20th centuries when they had to flee from their country for the conditions of misery,

3) the arrival of Jews from all over the world who were fleeing persecution in their countries of origin,

4) Cuban exiles who settled in Florida fleeing the Revolution Cuban,

5) migration from the Nordic countries in times of famine or

6) the set of religious groups that were persecuted in their nations and finally found a host country.

In these and many other cases, the United States has undoubtedly allowed the dreams of a better life to finally be realized.

The american dream has a very different side of the coin

The African slaves who came to the United States did not fulfill any dream. The Chinese workers who built the railway lines did not experience a experience vital stimulant.

The California gold rush drew hundreds of thousands of migrants from around the world, but very few achieved the "Californian dream."

Every year thousands of Latin Americans who illegally cross the border they meet death, usually from hypothermia, drowning, or dehydration.

In all these cases the American dream has actually been a nightmare.

Photos: Fotolia - vit_kitamin / i3alda

Themes in American Dream