For a long time, many people have been coming to the United States to realize their goals. In the course of this process, the cultural and social phenomenon of the American dream was formed. It represents the idea of equality of opportunity for all nations, which lets people feel the freedom and take initiative to change their lives. This phenomenon, especially recently, is increasingly viewed as a utopia. Nevertheless, this concept can be considered as a driving force for immigrants. It gives people hope for a better life, thereby forcing them to work harder for their goal, however, it may simultaneously disempower an individual.
Therefore, the American Dream is a powerful ideology for foreigners coming to America. It is the main source of motivation that guides the activities of immigrants. The main result that people want to achieve in this case is the acquisition of freedom of rights, speech and initiative (Wolak and Peterson 968). However, the pursuit of the American dream can also suppress and disempower individuals due to the large number of other rival immigrants also fighting for life success. In addition, the recent policy of neoliberalism in the United States has significantly influenced the fact that immigrant communities have become vulnerable to economic cycles and recessions.
Therefore, the phenomenon of the American dream is still strongly entrenched in society. He can play the role of a motivator for actions to improve living conditions and achieve social, political, and economic freedoms. However, it is worth remembering that in the struggle for the American dream, a person may be subjected to pressure from the same driven people. A special influence on this social and cultural aspect has a class that determines the ability to realize the American dream.
Race
The issue of race and its problems are still of central importance. Despite the development of modern society, this issue remains deeply entrenched among people. Race is generally defined as a set of physical characteristics inherent in a particular category of humanity. This concept may also include cultural, social, or national characteristics. In American history, this concept has evolved more towards ideas of racial discrimination. This trend can still be traced and especially applies to representatives of the African-American population.
Race has a special relationship with such concepts as class and assimilation. Hence, the second implies the intertwining and merging of cultures of different peoples while living on the same territory (Lee and Kye 254). Therefore, for example, when moving to the United States, representatives of European culture acquire more American traditions, gradually moving away from their own. Talking about race and class, an individual’s social and economic status is often defined by his or her belonging to a particular nation. Thus, prejudice against blacks can significantly complicate their path to achieving a dominant position in the workplace.
It is also worth mentioning the difference between the concepts of ethnicity and race. Ethnicity is associated with cultural characteristics, when race, in turn, is determined by biological and physical characteristics. In the end, it is necessary to mention such a phenomenon as daily racism, which manifests itself in discrimination, denial of citizenship or the acquisition or removal of housing, or resorting to the so-called color-blind ideology. This phenomenon requires timely elimination, as it negatively affects the mental well-being of the whole society and violates the rights of citizens.
Works Cited
Wolak, Jennifer, and David AM Peterson. “The Dynamic American Dream.” American Journal of Political Science, vol. 64, no. 4, 2020, pp. 968-981.
Lee, Jennifer C., and Samuel Kye. “Racialized Assimilation of Asian Americans.” Annual Review of Sociology, vol. 42, 2016, pp. 253-273.