*This dream is a post-project artifact, courtesy of Emily Steinberger.
“I think the term American Dream refers to living life to the fullest in terms of being able to fulfill dreams that you might set for yourself, and follow through on what those dreams are and how they become realized.
For me, it’s about family. So family, in the past, family growing up, having a connection to family, being able to spend quality time with family, and then homeownership is a part of that. Having a place that’s yours, something that is the foundation in your life.
So I have a photograph here of me when I was much younger, playing basketball with my grandfather. I grew up in another country, in England. So this was on a vacation that we took, visiting our family in the States.
To me, is a big part of where that dream comes from in terms of connecting with American family. And then once we moved to the States, obviously, I was able to spend more time with him, and other American family members.
And then baseball for me is also part of that. Because as someone who immigrated to the United States, I fell in love with the sport. And it really became a huge part of how I define myself as belonging to American culture.
And then this is a baseball card that I have of Jackie Robinson. So this is one of my favorite cards, both for the historical significance of what he meant to U.S. society and the game. But also sort of a little, you know, memento to me as a as a fan and collector.
So historically, folks like me, white men, in particular have had a much easier path to homeownership. whether, you know, it’s through financial inheritance, or the legacy of money passed down through generations, or policies that are in place that made it easier for me to secure a bank loan or things like that. So pretty aware of the fact that for me, my American Dream has a lot to do almost all to do with my social categories.”