what are the myths of the american dream

My Muse

“I want all A’s”, stated my dad on the phone.

“You got it baby, finish this semester strong”. 

I internally sighed and replied, cause Lord knows I’m already tired, “I’ll give you 100%, but the tone of my voice made him persist.

We hung up the phone, and I was once again confronted by my responsibilities.

I’ve got this project, 2 essays, a review, and work during finals week.

Mentally, I am forced to prepare for next semester and the increased tuition as if the 46k I and many other students give to OU is insufficient. 

To achieve the life I want to live, I must further my education. 

To compete for the opportunities not allotted to me or anyone I come from I have to work only to

experience a glimpse of this so-called American dream. 

Filled with legislation to discourage my participation.

Both of my parents have degrees, and they made attaining a degree, and working, look like a breeze 

Unfortunately, like me, they weren’t blessed with privileged identities 

 Amid it all, the expectation to smile remains because it’s my duty as a woman to appease the eyes that fall upon me, regardless of the predatory hue lurking within them. 

However, I try to smile to combat my ‘thug mug’ but am met with stale faces or unwanted advances on numerous occasions.

Man, I’m living the dream!

 One might ask, What dream Hailee? Your life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness align with which founding fathers? What identities do you and any of them have in common? The ones you do won’t suffice, so don’t blink twice.

The “material” things they were talking about require money, which you don’t have due to the vicious cycle of poverty.

You’re a product of nothing so why would you ever amount to something?

 With each generation, we strive to alter the outcome of our lives but, changes that interest the younger generations often go unnoticed.

The way that our country functions is all that we know, or choose to acknowledge, 

We have become comfortable with this routine for the most part.

Those who benefit from prospering identities will continue to implement things to maintain their privilege. 

If you don’t believe there is a politician prototype,  reflect on what politicians look to you.

I mentioned the younger generation and their eagerness for change,

The problem with this is the resistance we will face will likely demolish said ambition. 

There is no such thing as privilege without poverty so marginalized groups will remain oppressed, I don’t believe it will be as extreme as the past or dare say present but there will be some form of division between the two.

At the beginning of this course, we were asked what we thought was the American dream.

The American Dream marginalizes everyone who is not white, male, able-bodied, heterosexual, Christian, or wealthy. 

It will continue to do so if we don’t begin suggesting and involving ourselves with change.

There are people with all sorts of identity combinations, and the intersection of them all can lead to either conflict or opportunity. 

In closing, longing to fix what many individuals don’t consider broken is a loaded task.

That requires unimaginable perseverance.

The institutionalized separation between the founding father’s identities and the ‘others’ to this day makes the American dream a figment of imagination rather than the foundation of our country.

Thank you. 

Bush, Roderick. “The Class-First, Race-First Debate: The Contradictions of Nationalism and Internationalism and the Stratification of the World-System.” The End of White World Supremacy: Black Internationalism and the Problem of the Color Line, Temple University Press, 2009, pp. 87–131. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt14bs8x2.6. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024. This source is related to my topic because it focuses on how Western Civilization was established through some sort of domination of other places. I can use this source for examples of Western hegemony through invading other countries. In the part of this book, I would like to use they say Western influence was birthed from America taking over many non-western countries. I say that Western civilization and Western hegemony did come from some sort of forced assimilation or invasion from America and our Allies. This source supports the idea that Western culture has a dominating effect on numerous parts of the world. I don’t think I could use this source as a counter-argument and my feelings about, the topic have not changed. 

Bush, Roderick. “Black Feminism, Intersectionality, and the Critique of Masculinist Models of Liberation.” The End of White World Supremacy: Black Internationalism and the Problem of the Color Line, Temple University Press, 2009, pp. 132–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt14bs8x2.7. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.  This source relates to my topic because it highlights the fact that intersectionality is a contributor to the American dream. I can focus on the argument that access to the American dream is solely based on your identity. This particular source talks about it from the perspective of black women. During the civil rights era black women had to choose to fight for the rights of their race of the rights of their sex, and being that black women were excluded from the first waves of feminism it made it difficult to make that choice. They say that the insection of identities such as being female and black, presented numerous hardships for women of color. I say that these oppressed identities have less access to the American dream. I could most definitely use this source to support my thesis being that it would have something to do with the fact that the American dream is more intersectional and there are qualified identities that have the privilege and more access to it. This has not changed my mind about my topic if anything has made me more excited, that I can find sources to support my claims and that there has already been research done on this matter, making more people aware of the issue. 

Bush, Melanie E. L., and Roderick D. Bush. “Reflections on the Structural Logic of the System.” Tensions in the American Dream: Rhetoric, Reverie, or Reality, Temple University Press, 2015, pp. 31–68. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt14btcwf.8. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024. This source relates to my topic by emphasizing prejudice and how internalized it has become in our society. I can use this source to focus on a potential argument by quoting it. A lot of the quotes in the section I’m looking at talk about the initial separation of people. The author says that prejudiced and discriminatory beliefs play a huge role in the American Dream and opportunities. I say that those elements do contribute to the perception of the American Dream as well the access to it. This relates to other sources because it highlights that race does factor into the dream. I can use this to contextualize my argument for sure. I have not looked through the source so I am not sure  If I will be able to use it  as a counterargumentThis source has not changed how I view of my topic

. 

Tasker, Tiffany Tatyana. “Psychopathology of the Insomniac American Nightmare: Whhitemess, Gentrification, and the Supposed American Dream In Five Points.” University of Colorado, 15 May 2021.  This source relates to my topic because It demonstrates a piece that I wanted to touch on about race and the American Dream, and other minorities. I will most likely use this source for multiple paragraphs and points I want to talk about how minorities were placed against each other. The author says that Minority subornation and minorities are placed against each other (26-30) as well as how whiteness affects all people whether they are white or not. I say that whiteness does contribute to the American dream in many forms and I believe this source will help me bring that point to life. This source relates to other sources because it also points out the issues surrounding the American Dream and how it is not as inclusive as it is promoted. I believe I can make an argument out of this source being that it is similar to the sources I have above I would not consider making a counterargument. This source has not changed my mind

Morrison, Toni. “Whiteness.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 19 Sept. 2022, nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/whiteness. This source relates to my topic because suggests that to be American it means being white. I believe I could make an argument using this source. The author says that being white does not ensure that a person won’t face hardship however they won’t receive any issues from their whiteness. I say that is completely correct, other things affect a person’s access to the American, and although race is a big one I do not believe it is the only one. I can use this source to contextualize my argument for sure. This article aligns with a lot of the sources I already have so I don’t think a counterargument would work. This source has not changed how I view my topic.  

Branch, Enobong Hannah, and Hanley, Caroline. Work in Black and White : Striving for the American Dream / Enobong Hannah Branch and Caroline Hanley. 2022.  This source is related to my topic by noting that lack of opportunities has contributed to the economic disadvantages of black people. The author says that a lack of opportunities can affect people’s American dreams. I say that the American dream is built on access. This source relates to the others by mentioning the American dream is intersectional. I don’t think I can use this as a counterargument. This has not changed my view on my topic. Halton, Jared. “Reflections on the American Dream, Power, Privilege, and Self.” Clemson University Tiger Prints , 1 Dec. 2016, tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2844&context=all_dissertations. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024.  This dissertation is related to my topic by pointing to privilege, I could use these sources to focus on  a potential argument. The author says that the American dream or the success that people accumulates is supposed to be their responsibility but that is not entirely how our society is structured. I say that there are qualities like being white, wealthy, heterosexual, able-bodied, and Christian, men, who tend to have more access to the American dream. This source and others say similar things about how the American dream is not as accessible to others outside of white people specifically men. I can use this source to contextualize my thesis, but not for a counterargument. This source has not changed my mind about my topic.

Bush, Roderick. “The Class-First, Race-First Debate: The Contradictions of Nationalism and Internationalism and the Stratification of the World-System.” The End of White World Supremacy: Black Internationalism and the Problem of the Color Line, Temple University Press, 2009, pp. 87–131. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt14bs8x2.6. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024. This source is related to my topic because it focuses on how Western Civilization was established through some sort of domination of other places. I can use this source for examples of Western hegemony through invading other countries. In the part of this book, I would like to use they say Western influence was birthed from America taking over many non-western countries. I say that Western civilization and Western hegemony did come from some sort of forced assimilation or invasion from America and our Allies. This source supports the idea that Western culture has a dominating effect on numerous parts of the world. I don’t think I could use this source as a counter-argument and my feelings about, the topic have not changed. 

Bush, Roderick. “Black Feminism, Intersectionality, and the Critique of Masculinist Models of Liberation.” The End of White World Supremacy: Black Internationalism and the Problem of the Color Line, Temple University Press, 2009, pp. 132–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt14bs8x2.7. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.  This source relates to my topic because it highlights the fact that intersectionality is a contributor to the American dream. I can focus on the argument that access to the American dream is solely based on your identity. This particular source talks about it from the perspective of black women. During the civil rights era black women had to choose to fight for the rights of their race of the rights of their sex, and being that black women were excluded from the first waves of feminism it made it difficult to make that choice. They say that the insection of identities such as being female and black, presented numerous hardships for women of color. I say that these oppressed identities have less access to the American dream. I could most definitely use this source to support my thesis being that it would have something to do with the fact that the American dream is more intersectional and there are qualified identities that have the privilege and more access to it. This has not changed my mind about my topic if anything has made me more excited, that I can find sources to support my claims and that there has already been research done on this matter, making more people aware of the issue. 

Bush, Melanie E. L., and Roderick D. Bush. “Reflections on the Structural Logic of the System.” Tensions in the American Dream: Rhetoric, Reverie, or Reality, Temple University Press, 2015, pp. 31–68. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt14btcwf.8. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024. This source relates to my topic by emphasizing prejudice  and how internalized it has become in our society. I can use this source to focus on a potential argument by quoting it. A lot of the quotes in the section I’m looking at talk about the initial separation of people. The author says that prejudiced and discriminatory beliefs play a huge role in the American Dream and opportunities. I say that those elements do contribute to the perception of the American Dream as well the access to it. This relates to other sources because it highlights that race does factor into the dream. I can use this to contextualize my argument for sure. I have not looked all the way through the source so I am not sure  If I will be able to use it  as a counterargumentThis source has not changed how I view of my topic

. 

Tasker, Tiffany Tatyana. “Psychopathology of the Insomniac American Nightmare: Whhitemess, Gentrification, and the Supposed American Dream In Five Points.” University of Colorado, 15 May 2021.  This source relates to my topic because It demonstrates a piece that I wanted to touch on about race and the American Dream, and other minorities. I will most likely use this source for multiple paragraphs and points I want to talk about how minorities were placed against each other. The author says that Minority subornation and minorities are placed against each other (26-30) as well as how whiteness affects all people whether they are white or not. I say that whiteness does contribute to the American dream in many forms and I believe this source will help me bring that point to life. This source relates to other sources because it also points out the issues surrounding the American Dream and how it is not as inclusive as it is promoted. I believe I can make an argument out of this source being that it is similar to the sources I have above I would not consider making a counterargument. This source has not changed my mind

Morrison, Toni. “Whiteness.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 19 Sept. 2022, nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/whiteness. This source relates to my topic because suggests that to be American it means being white. I believe I could make an argument using this source. The author says that being white does not ensure that a person won’t face hardship however they won’t receive any issues from their whiteness. I say that is completely correct, other things affect a person’s access to the American, and although race is a big one I do not believe it is the only one. I can use this source to contextualize my argument for sure. This article aligns with a lot of the sources I already have so I don’t think a counterargument would work. This source has not changed how I view my topic.  

Branch, Enobong Hannah, and Hanley, Caroline. Work in Black and White : Striving for the American Dream / Enobong Hannah Branch and Caroline Hanley. 2022.  This source is related to my topic by noting that lack of opportunities has contributed to the economic disadvantages of black people. The author says that a lack of opportunities can affect people’s American dreams. I say that the American dream is built on access. This source relates to the others by mentioning the American dream is intersectional. I don’t think I can use this as a counterargument. This has not changed my view on my topic. Halton, Jared. “Reflections on the American Dream, Power, Privilege, and Self.” Clemson University Tiger Prints , 1 Dec. 2016, tigerprints.clemson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2844&context=all_dissertations. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024.  This dissertation is related to my topic by pointing to privilege, I could use these sources to focus on  a potential argument. The author says that the American dream or the success that people accumulates is supposed to be their responsibility but that is not entirely how our society is structured. I say that there are qualities like being white, wealthy, heterosexual, able-bodied, and Christian, men, who tend to have more access to the American dream. This source and others say similar things about how the American dream is not as accessible to others outside of white people specifically men. I can use this source to contextualize my thesis, but not for a counterargument. This source has not changed my mind about my topic.

Movie Trailer- Hidden Figures

The topic I will write about relates to this course because it questions whether a person’s proximity to whiteness can lead them closer to the American dream. Our society is built on what is the American dream and being that the founding fathers were all white men, I was wondering if race contributed to access to the American dream. I chose this topic because I have seen the result of institutionalized racism, allowing prejudices to become discriminatory acts and its lasting effect on groups of people. I think it is important not to forget that racism was one of the things that was very prominent in our country. Based on experiences of my own and people that I know I have seen how white people have benefited from the American dream just for being white, There is a preference for white people in our society, almost like the saying how saying ” white is always right”, and a lot of individuals have internalized that and used that as an excuse to submit to white people. Now just because some have privilege from their whiteness that does not mean that they have complete access to the American dream because of that whiteness alone. Black Wall Street and the Osage Wikipedia made me want to continue researching this topic. I have found a few books to use for my research, and I plan on reading a few of the excerpts I want to use to better support my argument. I will ask if proximity to whiteness grants more access to the American dream. I feel like my audience will more than likely see it from the perspective of the marginalized groups which is what I want to happen. Some potential arguments I might make would include something challenging black women’s role in the American dream, being that I name using Hidden Figures for my movie trailer. I will continue to use the liberties online page and PDFs to find the sources I need for the paper. I want to try to have at least 5-6 sources on my PRELIM 9 by next Friday. I plan to have some before then, but this is my goal by the 26th.

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

This song by Billie Holiday demonstrates a perspective of the American Dream by giving a glimpse of what was happening in the South during the 21st century. This song was released in 1939 and directly correlates with what was happening in the United States. The South during this time was extremely racially divided, there were senseless killings and acts of violence against black people. Billie compares black people to fruit dangling from trees, she begins the song by saying “Southern fruit bear a strange fruit”. Lynchings were at an extreme high during the making of this song. “Blood on the leaves and blood at the root…” Holiday is expressing there were so many lynchings happening that blood would be flowing down to the roots of the trees, ” Black Bodies swinging in the southern breeze, the bodies of Black Americans were on display throughout towns. This is important because those who were killed during this time were Black American people and according to the Declaration of Independence ” all men are created equal” and have the right to ” life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, however, the lives of black Americans were senselessly taken from them due to racist ideologies and beliefs about minority groups.

“The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth”, many African Americans were left configured and morphed after dying from hanging. The lives of Black Americans were always at the discretion of white Americans, depending on the situation an angry mob would either beat, tourted, and sometimes mutilate before lynching. Hangings became a public site, postcards were made from the events, now what about all of these things would prompt one to believe that the American dream is all-inclusive? The streets were often filled with “the sudden smell of burning flesh”, the bodies of African Americans were just disposed of and burned like trash. The American Dream has had its lasting effect on all Americans however what os the cost of the American dream amongst minorities?

Inner City Blues by Marvin Gaye provides a glimpse of what inner city clinging looked like back in 1971. Marvin Gaye was born in 1939 and contributed heavily to the music industry in the ’60s until his earthly departure in 1984. Within the first few verses of the song, Marvin expresses how ” money, we make it before we see it, you take it, he then bridges into the chorus reveling how the current circumstances make [him] wanna holler the way they do [ his] life this ain’t living…” Gaye is exclaiming some of the issues he has in The United States, he feels like the money the working class makes is all going back to the government in taxes. He discusses inflation, which is an issue in our world today. The cost of grass has not been under $2.50 since 2017, and the minimum wages have remained the same for decades with only a handful of states raising theirs. ” no chance to increase finance bills pile up sky high Send that boy off to die”. During the 19th century, America was in its share of wars and wars cost money, jobs were hard to come across and every young man of the age of 18 had to declare for the draft. There was still an unexplainable amount of “trigger-happy policing” wiping away minorities specifically African Americans. The War On Drugs began in June of 1971, and the police were going above and beyond to make sure drugs were not on the streets, the only downside to this was they targeted low-income and minority-dominated neighborhoods. In the Outro Marvin states “… they don’t understand”, The majority of the working class feels like their voices are not heard and it is hard to reach those with power because they can not relate to the struggles of the common man. This song demonstrates another perspective with someone agreeing that certain qualities of the American dream are inaccessible if you don’t have certain characteristics.

The Bigger Picture was released during the Black Lives Matter and George Floyd era of 2020. The world was getting adjusted to the pandemic and its consequences, and police brutality against African Americans. There was an alarming amount of tension between black people and the police, which dates back to slavery. The police were originally established to catch runaway slaves and bring them back to their owners, so that would explain the distrust that minorities, specifically Black Americans, have with the police. In the song, Lil Baby talks about “[giving them ] chance and chance and chance again, I believe he is talking about people who still encourage, ignore, and validate the mistreatment of black people. This reminds me a lot of the song Willie Jones published just a year later about how the American Dream can vary from race to race. They both connected to being black in America and how that has affected them and to some extent their perception of the American dream. From an outsider’s perspective, black men can benefit from being men in our society being that it functions under patriarchy however their race will marginalize them. Lil Baby wrote this song as a response to the events of police brutality, you can tell he is tired of not benefiting from the American Dream and being “[thrown] in cages like dogs and hyenas” I believe he is touching on the disproportionate rate in which black men are thrown in jail. “Every colored person ain’t dumb and all whites not racist
I be judging by the mind and heart, I ain’t really into faces”, Baby is suggesting that we should look beyond race and understand that ” fighting fire with fire” will only create more division among people. I believe it is only an issue because of how race became institutionalized in our country, being that it has been institutionalized there are stereotypes and prejudices that many people have about all races that lead to discrimination when we as individuals buy into them. Overall, I believe Lil Baby was trying to convey how centuries of oppression and false hope can weigh on people.

This song was written and released in 2008 on an album titled ” The Recession” which was strategic on Jeezy’s behalf because America was going through a recession from December 2007 to June 2009. One of the most infamous bars from this son was “My president is black, my Lambo’s blue”, In 2008 the first black president of the United States was elected into office. This was a major accomplishment not only for the black community but for America as well. We had begun diversifying our country and creating avenues for minorities to acquire positions of power within our government. According to, the Declaration Of Independence ” All men are created equal”, giving Barak Obama a chance to run for president like any other American regardless of his race was an extreme success. When Jezzy wrote “… my lambo is blue” was symbolic because it represents prosperity which is one of America’s core values. Jeezy raps about his experiences growing up selling drugs to survive and how being the first person from his neighborhood to have a Lamborghini was a huge achievement. Young Jeezy is his stage name but the individual behind the rap persona. Jay Wayne Jenkins. was born in South Carolina but gained his fame from being in Atlanta, Georgia. Later on in the song he expressed how that moment in time was ” black history”, there were many people who voted just to see what it would be like to have a black president. During high school, I watched a video in one of my history classes which consisted of a series of interviews about why people voted for Barack Obama. The overarching message in this song is about making history as a nation. The background music on the track sounds extremely patriotic and heroic like we as a nation have won a prize of some sort. Overall, wonderful song and a great classic for the culture.

“American Dream” by Bobby Womack is a song that celebrates the American dream. He begins the song by stating that the American Dream is ” a dream of a land where men of all races.. can live together as brothers.” The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal”, this is one of the founding American documents that are held near and dear to each American. The inclusion of the idea of equality, the reason our country was founded was due to feeling they weren’t being treated equally or fair. I also believe that Womack is suggesting that no matter who you are or where you come from due to equality and equal opportunity you should be able to succeed. ” Hold on to me”, to what? The American dream? One might ask, which I believe is the correct answer Bobby Womack in my opinion is selling the American dream. ” If you just work hard enough”( bootstraps) then you can achieve the American dream. When realistically ‘buying ‘ into the American dream does not always guarantee success. Womack mentions that ” Children born free in the world of today”, I believe this is a tribute to his people who were once not free in America. He is acknowledging what the circumstances were before and how they are no longer under those conditions. I like how he recognizes that there is some element of faith or hope regarding achieving the American Dream. Bobby states that ” with this faith”, faith in whatever we will all be able to obtain the American dream. You have to believe that there is something desirable about being American or in America. Womack is expressing his admiration for the American Dream with this song. The song is very upbeat and has an extremely positive vibe. He includes words like “rainbows” and ” blue skies” to support the positive nature of the song. In general, I believe the purpose of this song is to establish hope and reinforce some of the American values we associate with the American Dream.

Coe, Kairi. “Today in Hip-Hop: Spice 1 Drops His Self-Titled Debut Album – XXL .” XXL Mag, 14 Apr. 2018, www.xxlmag.com/today-in-hip-hop-spice-1-debut-album/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2024.

Welcome to the Ghetto by Spice 1 gave the public insight into the conditions and experiences of someone from the ghetto Is suspectable to. He starts the song by talking about some of the things he sees daily in his neighborhood. He talks about dope fiends, police, dead bodies, and how being in this environment, “the streets is a place, you could be swallowed by death”. This line hearts my heart, I saw a video a few weeks ago where there was a yard full of children and someone drove by the house and just opened fire. Luckily none of the children were killed, however, those babies will never forget that experience. Their American dream may not be insane wealth or lavish living, it could be something so much simpler like a safe neighborhood. Spice follows this statement by mentioning how he sees ” fifteen n**gas on the corner” and black men all over “America’s Most Wanted”. He did not sell drugs or gang bang but he, like many people who grew up in that environment, knew numerous people who did, and did it “cause you gotta live”. I find this interesting because American culture has promoted financial prosperity so intensely that people do not care how they get their money these days just as long as they get it. The idea of instant gratification has instilled a “hustler’s mentality” in the collection of people. I see the same mentality presented in Lupsha’s ‘Wiseguys and Suckers’, the author spoke about how children would much rather be out on the street than in the classroom learning. It appears that children don’t desire to make an “honest living”. This is rather unfortunate because success comes at a price, and sometimes a life may be a stake. It also makes me question why we haven’t broken this vicious cycle if we know the sacrifices. However, our society is so fixated on individuality, that many of us have developed the ” it can’t happen to me” kind of mindset, we might explore this in another post. There are still about 2:30-3:00 minutes of the song left but for this post, I wanted to make that comparison(violence in streets/promotion of street life) using those lyrics.