Thursday, January 28, 2010
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The American Dream: Past, Present and Future. Ever since James Truslow Adams coined the phrase in 1931, each generation has rendered the American Dream in its own image. Today, we face a variety of crises that have rudely awakened us. Our nation is sharply divided over the values that should prevail. We no longer know what we aspire to. The materials collected on this blog will become the source material for a live Performance Installation at Palomar College in April of 2010.
Well, I'm currently old enough to be living "the American Dream" as it exists for the "lower upper middle class". For us it reads like this:
ReplyDelete-Have a secure job
-Own your own home
-Have some form of Recreational Vehicle
-Be able to afford college for your child (without taking out loans)
- See your chld do "better" than you did
We aren't fabulously wealthy but we are really comfortable.
We have a house nearly paid for, 3 cars, a 30' boat in the harbor. Our yard has a swimming pool and a fish pond. We have decks off of the family room and the master bedroom. It is a nice place and a nice life. We can afford to eat steak and drink decent wine. We can afford to send our child to college without taking out loans.
And I am bitter.
We have seen our savings take several hits over the decades. We were nearing retirement at age 60 when our retirement savings took a more than 50% hit in the last little economic near collapse. Retirement is now scheduled to happen at around 65-67. Depending on what happens to Social Security (which we have been paying into our entire working lives) we may not be able to retire until age 70. Will we find ourselves at age 75 working as greeters at WalMart? How many times will we have to rebuild our nest egg? Will we actually be able to retire and travel while we are young enough and healthy enough to enjoy it? Will we be able to travel at all after retirement? It was something that we always had planned on (and saved for).
We feel that we have done everything "right": We saved for our luxuries rather than taking out shaky loans, we saved for retirement, we lived within our means...and now the rules are being changed on us and we don't really have much time to adjust.
Our child will likely be "downwardly mobile". He won't have the job security that we have had. He likely won't have a job with insurance benefits. He'll likely be "on his own" for retirement.
We had already adjusted to the fact that our child would likely not do better than we have, but to see that he will likely not do as well, hurts.
We taught him to believe in "the American Dream" as we knew it - as our parents taught us to believe in it. And it just isn't there. Anymnore.
Well I'd have to say no...
ReplyDeleteI could point fingers at alot of things...the economy, government, love, etc, etc, but I really have no one to blame but myself.
I've always viewed the American Dream as something we all need to achieve OURSELVES. We have to dedicate and work our asses off day in day out to reach our goal. I wouldn't expect anyone to Give the American Dream to me. We have to Work for it. It's our own responsibility.
Sure, sometimes luck is in our favor and we're in the right place at the right time and sometimes we are in the wrong place at the wrong time as well. Many people in the world are given the Amercian Dream (and expect it to be given to them) I must admit. There are others who work harder than they ever imagine they'd have to...they feel they've done all the right things, paid all their dues and such...only to have something (if not all) of that American Dream taken from them.
We all have to make decisions in our lives and important decisions that will determine our own futures. Everyone makes bad decisions and I feel I've made some very poor ones. I'm ashamed of some of the things I've done in my life and those poor decisions will haunt me till my dying day.
I ruined the chance of living the American Dream myself and I have NO ONE or NOTHING to blame BUT myself! I can only live the American Dream in my head anymore...
I grew up in Greenwich, CT, where folks worship the Book of Property Values and family troubles are an embarrassment, and teens creating and playing in whiffleball field in a public park prompt police removal. Stepdad was marrow-serious with keeping up all for "show," and Mom would not let me attend a Beatles concert in NYC because the friend I invited was a "poor" Puerto Rican. A half hour train trip away was NYC, with its dirt, grime, crime (this was before Guliannai)--and a conterintuitive sense of community. Even the homeless and freezing animal balloon makers that the "suits" ignored had a certain "place" in that big community, alongside the sable-wearing Saks, Tiffany, and F.A.O. Scwartz shopper. At the time I felt I"d rather be poor and fit in with that community than in a big environment-trashing house, only 15% of which owners actually use, and that community, friendship, and living no bigger than what you materially need to survive is the true American Dream.
ReplyDeleteFocusing in material things to define "class" and "happiness" and most insultingly, the American Dream, only makes people very unhappy they don't have as much as their neighbors. People ask me, "What do you do," and although I have a semi-secure job, I cringe at the thought that what I am is what I do to put food in my mouth, and not the 80% of me that does a lot of things that have nothing to do with money.
Many of the poor of our nation's history--slaves, Native Americans, immigrants--had a ton of wealth of spirit, warmth, and resilience, and a sober perspective of what is temporary and what is everlasting. Attempts to make the poor unahppy because they don't have a lot of material things (read "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara) brings out the worst in some folks--crime, violence, depression, overall unhappiness.
It is extremely disheartening that most people responding to this question discuss solely their material status as applied to the American Dream. Yes, some are of modest means, but most of the text discusses the modest means, and not the warmth and liveliness of spirit, freedom of expression, weatlth of spirit, and freedom to
"BE" that really defines the American Dream. The one good thing that could come out of the economic downturn is that more and more people are being forced to appreciate the material things they have, and then stop hinging happiness on having lots of stuff.
Art, understanding and love, freedom of spirit, and timeless exhuberance--these are what I experienced in NYC (yes), and Woodstock and now my church group. These are the American Dream for me.
Yes, I am "living" this "dream" as I continue to view its modifications, variations and dynamics on a moment-to-moment basis. To shed some light on this basic answer, allow me to explore the reasons why I have come to this rather knee-jerk response.
ReplyDeleteIn December 2009 I started my own blog through my website (http://web.mac.com/blackphonerecords) which seeks to question and challenge, both artistically and personally, the dynamics of daily life as I (un)consciously realize this process viewed through the plural lenses of ethnicity and culture. This was spurred by the intent on having students (re-)examine the "daily life" of an artist without providing them the identity of the artist in question. The intent here was to gather dialogue into the habits, ideology, philosophy and work of an artist. After gathering what could never really be enough information, the students would then try to localize a culture/heritage/ethnicity onto the mystery artist. To evade the ghost of history (contemporary or otherwise) I elected to use myself as the subject. This commitment forced me to examine my daily actions, motions and intent as a scholar, artist and human.
Given this artistic procedure, which at this point has no termination point, I do feel that I am "living" a version of this "(A)merican Dream."
However, it behoves me to state that I do not personally feel that there is such a thing as the "(A)merican Dream." There is a strong "Euro-American Dream" that is, without a doubt, the dominant ideology of the Western mind/culture. To celebrate a culture (read: American culture) built hsitorically upon genocide, lies and political slight-of-hand tricks is to reduce the mentality of the public to that of a miniature "Twinkie." When we consider that the "President's Own" militrary band - made up of top musicians from the Marine Corps. - still is required to play "Hail to the Chief" for the President of the U.S. even though we live in a "democracy," we can then begin to see the hypocricy of the culture and how this action alone may stand as a metaphor of how "we the (p)eople" are to live our daily (un)American lives, through one blind-eye and one blurred-eye both of which are looking in opposite directions. Therefore, I do not believe that the "American Dream" exists. That is, unless one is complaicent with the colonial protocol we recognize as "home."
Carlsbad, CA
28, Jan. 2010
No. And I disagree that the 'American Dream' belongs to any race or culture. To me it is to escape a life of poverty and by my own efforts get an education and a good job so that I can be middle class. I did work hard in school and helped my 7 sisters and 3 brothers with their schoolwork since I am the oldest. And YES I was one of only 3 from my high school graduating class to graduate from college. And I later earned several graduate degrees as well. But I have never been able to rise in the work world. Partly that was because as a woman who is good at math and enjoyed programming, I went into a field that wasn't friendly to women. Partly it is because I am now mid life and there is a lot of age discrimination in the workplace. And partly it was because during most of my life my left eye went 'out' because it is blind and people didn't feel comfortable with that. So I can only say that YES there is an American Dream and it is to work hard in order to rise above your circumstances. And YES I am grateful to live in this nation where women, non religious people and people of all races have a better chance of earning their success than in other nations.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder if I have lost my dream - my own dream because I am chasing the American dream. What did I imagine my life to be like? Perhaps a lot like my parents. A small house, kids, a kitchen where food simmered at all times of the day and evening, a table which always had extra plate settings because someone was always there to share a meal with us and we were always happy to share what we had, lots of friends, family and laughter that echoed from all cornners of my world. Then immigration happened. I live in house and do not have any children. I own the house but my husband and I are in it by ourselves all the time. We rarely have people over. We laugh when we watch TV and spend our days working. A white picket fence, two cars in the garage, a nice house, closets full of clothes and plenty of food - if this is the American dream, I have it. Ofcourse the dog and children are missing. However, I yearn for the simple happy life my parents lived and wonder why the "American Dream" is so sought after.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the white picket fence, dog, Dick, Jane, and Puff, etc., were media products of the 1950's--the most suppressive, repressive, and hypocritical decade ever. What I've read of generations before that had much more diversity, creativity, tolerance for difference, and overall "life." It's scary that Ozzie and Harriett have become the cliche for what Americans are supposed to strive for. Really, it's time to take a cue from older generations--Native Americans, slaves, immigrant laborers who literally built the country and infrastructure, etc. Washington, Franklin, Stanton, Steinham, and Lincoln did become rich--but that's NOT why they became famous and revered, even if in myth. What points of CHARACTER, CHARACTER, CHARACTER define the "American Dream." Leave attainment of wealth and sickening 50's cliches' out of the discussion.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqN67bSxXVQ
ReplyDeleteI think the American dream is to pay alot of money for college and be abused in the process, and think that somehow being brainwashed will help you be successful in life.
I think the American dream is to be led by others while not leading yourself.
We're a debtor nation that is not producing anything and we seem to be feeding upon 'ourselves' in the process.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X33dGpScI84