To many, the American Dream represents the opportunity to attain a better life for themselves as well as their children. However, to Y, a school counselor and mother of two from New York, the American Dream has a more overarching, societal outlook.
Y’s “dream for America” rather speaks on becoming a progressive place of safety where everyone is treated with respect and equality.
Growing up as an educated fourth generation New Yorker, Y considers herself a “person of privilege” and therefore recognizes the power that privilege provides her.
Working with many undocumented immigrants and children, Y witnessed first hand the fear and uncertainty some people endure in the United States. She believes that “liberties have been stripped away more and more” from racial and ethnic minorities due to the current political climate and the current federal administration. Y discusses how many families “genuinely seeking sanctuary” from abusive situations mistrust authority in fear of getting deported.
Y is seeking to achieve her American Dream through her work in protecting and counseling others.
While attending a university in the Northeast United States considered diverse on paper, Y describes the predominantly white class which surrounded her. This “absence made it more present” she says, leading back to this idea that not all are given the same educational opportunities in the United States, further demonstrating her “dream for America.”
Y brings up a quote from 1966 Martin Niemöller’s poem First They Came saying, “If you don’t speak up now, no one will be there to speak up when they come for you”. As a Jewish white woman living in NY, she acknowledges her minority status as Jewish Americans make up only 2.2% of the population. However, Y also admits to the privilege of living in a robust community. She therefore advocates for the minorities she’s counseled and worked with, as well as the inequality she has witnessed within her privilege.
Some may argue the American dream is rooted in the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims that “all men are created equal.” In 2020, some may argue the American dream is to graduate from college with a secure job and minimal debt. Others, such as myself, define the American Dream as motivation to attain their goals and aspirations in their careers and social class. For Y, the American Dream exceeds the individualistic notion in that America dreams to be a land of more opportunity where people can feel safe and trust the government. Today, Y is seeking to achieve her American Dream through her work in protecting and counseling others.
Y is…
- 38 Years-Old
- Female, Cisgender
- White
- Jewish
- Middle Class
- Heterosexual
