Andrea Brizuela
Professor Fasano
LART 211
November 30, 2011
Chasing the “American Dream”
For decades millions of people have come to the United States to live the American Dream. Many believed that coming to United States would open endless opportunities to gain a happy and successful life. When I think of the American Dream it consists of a decent house, a steady career, a loving family and living a prosperous life. America was seen as this beautiful country for people from other countries to come to better their lives and create a better living environment for their families. Although in the last few years the economy has gone down, it is still very possible for the younger generation to be just as successful as their parents. Many people have different reasons why they try to achieve the American Dream such as controlling their own fate, becoming successful, and having the liberty to live as they please. Achieving the American Dream is what drives most people to come to America. People from other countries see that people are coming to America to have a better life which excites them to do the same. America has been associated with famous phrases like “the land of opportunity” and “the land of liberty.” When the American Dream first started in the 60’s, my grandparents came to the United States from Mexico because they wanted to start a new chapter in their lives. They knew that living in Mexico would not help them gain much success so they moved to America. Back then it was much easier to have a steady job and become successful because America was barely shaping itself to “the land of opportunity.” In a poll done in 2008 by John Zogby, it showed that 68% of Americans thought that the American Dream was still achievable. While in 2011, the same poll was conducted and it went down to 50%. Even though many people’s beliefs declined, you can still reach your goal if you work hard at it. The economy has had a big affect on how people have changed…