What is the American Dream?

Classification: society/culture >> Social topics

Problem description:

Probably know that this is an ideal about Americans working hard for a rich life.

Analysis:

300 years ago, when British immigrants crossed the Atlantic in may flower to Maryland, looking for a "pure land" where Puritans could live, the "American Dream" began to sprout quietly-the United States gave everyone in the world equal opportunities, and their dreams could be realized as long as they worked hard.

After 300 years, this country has become a rich country. However, the "American Dream" has not disappeared, but has more "connotations" with the changes of history.

What is the American Dream? "Many historians and sociologists have different opinions, and different Americans have different explanations." Ron Mailer, a professor of history at UCLA, answered this question in an interview with a reporter from Global magazine.

However, in general, the "American Dream" contains several elements: the United States provides everyone with opportunities for success; Success depends on one's own talent and hard work, not family background; Everyone has equal rights; Everyone has the freedom of belief. "These elements are inseparable from history and must be combined with the background of the times." Ron Mailer said.

The primitive dream of land and gold

18~ 19 in Europe, the nobility has not yet withdrawn from the historical stage, the social hierarchy is strict, the wealth distribution is unfair, and religious discrimination is serious ... Montesquieu, Descartes and other pioneers of the Enlightenment began to praise the magical land of the United States, which also ignited the "American dream" of the disadvantaged groups.

/kloc-immigrants who came to the United States in the 0 th and 8 th centuries are all vulnerable people in Europe, the most typical of which are Puritans in Britain and bankrupt small farmers in Germany. They came to the United States during the colonial period, and their demands for political equality were particularly strong, and they spontaneously practiced democracy. Thus, "equal rights" has become a connotation of the "American Dream".

Mailer explained that "everyone can succeed" because the early United States was vast and sparsely populated, and immigrants could get a lot of fertile land. At that time, the United States was still dominated by agricultural economy. It goes without saying that "land means wealth and success". With the discovery of many gold mines in the western United States at the end of 18 and the beginning of 19, some lucky people began to get rich overnight because of gold digging. The legend of this wave of "gold rush" promoted the wave of emigration to the west, and also painted the "American Dream" with a strong gold color.

However, behind this "dream" is also a bloody history: the vast land of European immigrants is a "no man's land" obtained by slaughtering millions of Indians; The cultivators of high-yield farmland are mostly slaves plundered from Africa; The laborers who went to the West to dig gold were China coolies mixed with blood and tears.

It can be said that the early "American dream" is more of a dream of European immigrants. Mailer pointed out that many people in contemporary American historians are also facing up to and reflecting on this history, which is the unfair side of the "American Dream".

A new paradigm of struggle and wisdom

Around the Civil War, the United States began to industrialize. Immigrants from Europe are more likely to enter new york, Chicago, Detroit and other newly industrialized cities. Since then, the "American Dream" has taken on a new meaning.

During this period, many industrial and commercial giants were struggling to start a business. For example, Edison, who founded the General Electric Company by personal invention, Rockefeller, who exploited oil, Morgan, who was engaged in banking, and Ford, who invented the automobile production line. Their common feature is: they started from scratch, but eventually they built their own huge career through hard work and became legends.

Perhaps, these "legends" have been somewhat beautified by later generations, and even the so-called "Edison's invention" is also the assistant's many achievements. Mailer even thought that the United States was in a period of rapid economic expansion. By the time of World War I, the United States had become the country with the strongest economic strength in the world, and the domestic economic operation was also in the stage of "disorder to order", so it was natural that oligarchs appeared in various industries.

In the information age of 2 1 century, Bill Gates of Microsoft, Jerry Yang of Yahoo and the three founders of Google became the new idols of the "American Dream". With their own wisdom, they accumulated tens of billions of dollars of huge assets at a young age. Their living stories seem to show that as long as they are smart and talented, they can also succeed in America.

Fading and stale dreams

What is the real driving force behind the "American Dream"? Some historians think it is the desire and pursuit of wealth. Matthew Warshaw, a professor of history at Connecticut State University, pointed out: "The pursuit of money is an unchanging part of the American Dream.

However, "it is precisely the excessive pursuit of wealth that makes the' American Dream' obsolete and gradually loses its appeal to people all over the world." In the article Who Wants to Be a Millionaire —— The Change of Concept of American Dream, Warshaw keenly observed the change of American social atmosphere in recent decades.

If early Americans still advocated "honesty and diligence" to get rich, today they are increasingly keen to seek "get rich quickly". For example, the most admired ways for Americans to get rich now are: suing big companies for compensation, gambling in Las Vegas or buying lottery tickets, and participating in prize-winning TV competitions. Warshaw believes that this shows that American society is gradually losing the motivation to work hard.

Early Europeans who immigrated to the United States believed in the equality of political rights and religion. Nowadays, American politics is also evolving into a money game. Warshaw does not deny this: the Bush family's success in American politics is "the success of oil money". In the religious field, the freedom advocated by the United States is limited to Christian sects, and the * * * religion with little financial support can only be in an extremely weak position in the United States.

Mailer also believes that the "American Dream" may be less and less attractive to the world in the changes of the times. The hegemonic position and arbitrariness of the United States in world politics make many foreigners feel disgusted at the mention of the word "America"; An anti-terrorism bill prevented many immigrants from entering the United States; Economic speculation and bubbles make ordinary people always afraid that their wealth will suddenly disappear.

You may have heard of the word "American Dream". 1848, James w Marshall discovered gold in California, and people began to dream of gold. This19th century "American Dream" inspired the gold rush and earned California the nickname "Golden State". You may have heard of the word "American Dream". 1848, James w Marshall discovered gold in California, so people began to look for Jin Meng. /kloc-The "American Dream" in the 0/9th century inspired the gold rush, and California was named "Golden State".

The American dream not only promoted the gold diggers, but also promoted the wave of immigration throughout the century and the next century. It's not just 19 th century gold diggers who come to seek their dreams. The American Dream also set off an immigration boom in the19th century and even in the 20th century.

Europeans and a large number of China people came to the United States in the 9th century, hoping that they could find gold in the streets in China. However, most people have become railway workers. /kloc-in the 0 th and 9 th centuries, Europeans and a large number of Americans flooded into the United States. In their minds, America is a country of peanuts. But most immigrants end up working as railway workers.

They founded the old China City in San Francisco and gave the city a Chinese name "San Francisco". They established the earliest Chinatown in San Francisco and gave the city a China name called "San Francisco".

In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work. In the 20th century, many critics pointed out that it is impossible to get rich only by strong will and hard work.

Unfair education and racial discrimination against students from poor families almost make the American dream a nightmare. Poor students are denied fair educational opportunities, racial discrimination prevails, and the American dream has almost become a nightmare.

Then, in the1990s, a new wave of dreamers appeared in Silicon Valley in California. People pour their energy into the internet. This new chapter in the American Dream has attracted many businessmen and young talents from China and India to start businesses and seek wealth in the United States. Then, in the 1990s, a new dreamer appeared in Silicon Valley, California. People's enthusiasm for the Internet has opened a new chapter in the American dream. Many business people and young elites from China and India came here to start businesses and seek the way to get rich.

Higher salary, beautiful house and rising living standard are always attractive. Anyway, the new American dream is no longer just a question of money. Good salary, comfortable house and high standard of living are all attractive. However, this new American dream is not just about money.

It encourages Americans to consume rationally to protect the environment, improve the quality of life and promote social justice. Americans are also urged to consume rationally, pay attention to environmental protection, improve the quality of life and promote social justice.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is a model of the new American dream. After years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Australia to a movie star and governor. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger became the model of this new American dream. After years of hard work, he finally became a movie star from a poor boy in Austria and finally became a governor.

Many people hope that his story can save the American dream and give California a bright future. Many people hope that his story can save the American dream and bring a bright future to California.