...The American Dream is the idea of coming to america and being able to do what you want. America is the land of opportunity. There are many different ideas of the American dream, but it still present in today. The American dream does exist today because people come to america, the land of opportunity to accomplish the impossible goal and to succeed in life. In the text “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes, Challenges the American dream. It shows how the American dream is not what it seems. How the American dream is different for everyone. The text states “They send me to eat in the kitchen”(Hughes). The meaning of this quote is that he does not get to eat with everyone else when people come over. This challenges the american dream because this man should be free to eat wherever he wants to. The text also states, “Nobody’ll dare say to me, ‘Eat in the Kitchen,’(Hughes). This quotes meaning is to show that he will fight for his right to be and equally treated American. This challenges the right of the American dream because he has to fight just to be treated...
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...The Great Gatsby and The American Dream While many countries around the world are working toward equality of social status and avoiding a large gap between rich and poor, there is still a strong desire in people for social freedom through the accumulation of wealth and extravagance. The Great Gatsby’s depiction of the connection between material goods and the American dream is still relevant today. At first glance, the movie may seem to be about the failed relationship of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan. However, the major theme of the novel is the accumulation of wealth for social status and the idea of being able to reach a high level of success regardless of family history or lack of money. To understand the connection between the two it will be necessary to have an analysis of the culture values in the 1920’s, what people consider to be the American dream, and finally if there is still a strong desire to achieve the American dream in today’s society. In order to understand the connection between The Great Gatsby and the American dream it is first important to have a good understanding about the movie and motifs of the movie/novel itself. The story takes place in a post war America in the 1920’s when Nick Carraway moves to New York to pursue his career in finance. Nick soon discovers that he is neighbored to the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby, who is known for his loud, lavish parties. Jay and Nick soon become good friends and Nick begins to learn the motifs behind...
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... the color line it created is still very much alive. From the overtly racist Jim Crow laws to the discriminatory covert practices within the housing industry of today, there is a clear division of white versus black, superior versus inferior, that divides the nation. In her article “The Case for Reparations,” Ta-Nehisi Coates makes the case for why African Americans should be paid back for all of the injustices they had to, and continue to, endure. Granting reparations would be more than just handing out money to blacks to make up for the astronomical wealth gap certain discriminatory actions and policies have created, though. Coates said that making “reparations to those on whose labor...
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...“I have a Dream” On August 28, one of the most powerful speeches was given by Martin Luther King Jr.During the mid-20th Century, racism was a huge issue in the United States, which the most prominent was the racism of African-Americans. Although all blacks were supposed to be free, under a corrupt law system, blacks were victimized mercilessly. Therefore, blacks decided to try and change the system and multiple civil rights activists and groups appeared. Throughout the 1960s, King engaged in various civil rights boycotts and protests, helping to further the movement and gaining its eventual victory.Out of all of his civil rights-related efforts, he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. The speech was given in front of the Lincoln Memorial and is known by many as one of the most influential speeches on freedom and the equality of Americans, regardless of their race. 200,000 people gathered to hear Dr. King talk about the segregation and discrimination against African Americans in our nation at that time. In his speech He used pathos such as using the bible to get emotional reactions, with logos he gave real life situations as examples, and ethos he used what people thought and knew about Abraham Lincoln. This were just a few examples of what he said in his speech. King bought to the attention of the American people that our country was founded upon freedom and as a democracy we have the right to change laws and institute...
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...A dream is an idea or vision that is created in your imagination and that is not real. If a dream is just a figment of the imagination then there is no way that an American’s dream for ones’s life can be surreal, right? Nowadays, being a stay at home parent is a phantom of the mind, money is peoples’ happiness, and unemployment is becoming more and more prevalent. Dreaming about the way one wants their life to be one day is simply just a dream. At sometime in a person’s life everyone dreams of being a stay at home parent: taking care of the kids, having the house cleaned, and dinner cooked on the table when their significant other gets home from a long day at work. Being a stay at home parent is not as common as it use to be. If an American...
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...“To what extent are Affirmative Action programs no longer needed in the United States?” Affirmative Action is a policy in the United States that “aims to enhance educational and career opportunities for minorities and women by granting them preferences in college and graduate school admissions, promotions, and contract awards.” (Boxill) Such programs are designed to ensure that qualified individuals in America have equal access to opportunity in areas such as education and employment, and receive a fair chance to contribute all their abilities. As T.H. Andersen points out: “Supporters declare themselves the champions of racial justice, protectors of Martin Lurher King’s Dream, while the opponents see themselves as the defenders of merit, of colorblind equal protection enshrined by the U.S. Constitution.” (Anderson Preface X) Therefore, although at first these programs were considered a huge success, many argue that Affirmative Action has been out dated and is not working anymore. Affirmative Action has served its purpose, and is no longer needed and should be abolished or reformed, as it will no longer be useful in helping eliminate the racial gaps in the United States. Affirmative Action has achieved a great deal since it was first introduced in the 1960s. Politicians have characterized Affirmative Action as a policy “designed to right the wrongs of the past, as a quota system, or a set of remedial programs aimed to compensate for the inadequacies of people of color”(Crosby...
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...Professor English 15 May 2015 Birth of the New American Gods: The Video Game God There are gods, old and new, among us and little do people know they are born by humans. The Video Game god is a new god because people spend time, money, and worship games in a new ways which allows this new god to exist. People can say it’s in the past where gods have been created through worship but the creations of these gods haven’t stop just because people just stop worshipping certain named deities, but only have been forgotten. These gods still live today and are still being created by human beings; in similar ways gods have been created in the past, but people subconsciously do it. A new god that can be seen today in our time can be the Video Game God, and this god has been created by people all over the globe. The Video Game God is a new god that people spent hours, days, even weeks on enjoying the entertainment, influences and effect the god has had on human, and what the god provides to his people. Before proving that there is a Video Game God that exists in the modern world, one needs to understand what a god truly is. After reading Neil Gaiman novel one can grasp a better understanding that religion isn’t needed for a god to exist and that, “Religions are, by definition, metaphors, after all: God is a dream, a hope, a woman, an ironist, a father, a city, a house of many rooms[…]” (Gaiman). In this part of the chapter people can understand how religion isn’t needed and is...
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...Education Reform in America’s High Schools ENG 102: English Composition II April 7, 2014 Education Reform in America’s High Schools The American education system’s history goes back to the early colonial day where the students were taught differently and the Bible was a major part of education. American schools are failing and the reason why is that they are suppressing children to a base model of education. All children learn naturally because they are born to be curious, creative, and intrinsic motivated. There is a great many parents, students and educators who believe education reform is greatly needed in American society today is very complex and ever changing, and a high school diploma is very necessary to compete for jobs in any given career. But, the U.S. now has the highest dropout rate today in many years and if some major education reform is not implicated the U.S. will fall farther down on the list of countries who are failing to meet the need for continuous production of quality students to contribute to society. This paper will discuss how the Education System in the United States is failing students. By asking probing questions that looks at education reform from the top with the federal and state governments, to the educator and administrators, the parents and students and what are some possible avenues or changes can be taken to improve the educational system in the United States. What is education reform? Education reform has been forever...
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...April 27th, 2014 Political Science American Government Civil Rights Essay On November 19, 1863 Abraham Lincoln made a speech known as the Gettysburg Address to multiple people to address the public. Lincoln’s comments that day, however, embraced only a brief moment in the cemetery’s dedication. Lincoln attempted to give meaning to the events at Gettysburg, indeed to the Civil War itself, by speaking about the principles for which he believed the Union stood. Lincoln states that our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the intention that all men are created equal. Then on another note goes into stating that we are now in a great Civil War which is testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so devoted, can long tolerate. He wants to make notice that we are not on a great battle-field of that war, because we have come to dedicate a portion of that field as not for war but more for a final resting place; a resting place for those who gave their lives that the nation might live. Lincoln wants people to realize that our fathers have said that we are all men created in equal, which means we should be as a whole. In 1776, the United States was a new country with a different kind of political philosophy. It was known as “The Great Experiment” because it ventured into new ground and no one knew if such a government could survive. Lincoln testes the idea whether the united States were founded on liberty...
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...settlers in North America have enslaved and oppressed African Americans. Slavery continued until the Emancipation Proclamation was established towards the end of the Civil War. The Emancipation Proclamation stated that those who were once slaves were to be set free; however much more than a document would be needed to diminish the ideas and attitudes white people continued to hold onto. Into the 1960’s, one hundred years after the Emancipation Proclaimed was written, African Americans were still suffering from inequality and discrimination. The need to end racial segregation and discrimination sparked the build up to The Civil Rights Movement. Like society, literary trends started to focus on racism and prejudice. In particular, the principled southern-bred writer Langston Hughes shows social injustices and racial prejudice in his writings because he experienced the culture first hand. His poems became the voice for African American’s because he clearly depicts the emotions they felt during this time. Literature as a whole grasped the public’s attention towards The Civil Rights Movement to show the importance of social equality. Langston Hughes’ poems “Merry-Go-Round” and “Dreams” express how necessary it is to put segregation in the past, and encourage African Americans to stay hopeful in order to reach their dream of living in a racially equal America. The Civil Rights Movement was victorious because many African Americans did not get discouraged and lose spirit, but instead properly...
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...Social Issues Position Paper Racial and Ethnic Inequality Amongst Blacks : A Economic Problem of Society Tameekah Myers SOC 1000-Comtemporary Social Issues Thesis Statement In this essay one will come to a better understanding of racial and ethnic inequality and why it exists. It is evident that Inequality amongst certain races is evident however it also linked to a variety of perspectives that account for the continuation of racial, ethnic discrimination and inequality. Inequality amongst Races and Ethnicity ▪ What is race and ethnicity? ▪ Should race exist ▪ Inequality among races Racism against African Americans ▪ Slavery ▪ Racial Profiling ▪ Stereotypes ▪ Causes and Effects of Racism Social status and race inequality ▪ Social/Racial classification ▪ Education inequality ▪ Labor/income Inequality Laws and Policies ▪ Affirmative action policies ▪ Equal Opportunity Policy ▪ Civil Right Act The social stance of American Minorities Now ▪ African Americans Conclusion In this essay one will come to a better understanding of racial and ethnic inequality and why it exists. It is evident that inequality amongst certain races is evident; however, it also linked to a variety of perspectives that account for the continuation of racial, ethnic discrimination and inequality. The story of race is intricate and may challenge how we think about human differences and race as...
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...accomplish the so called “American Dream”? Some have been able to accomplish this dream, but many still struggle and continue to work non stop in order to reach a dream that is almost impossible to achieve. The United States of America, “the land of the free and opportunities”, hasn’t really been the land of the free, with opportunities for all. During my 7 week summer course, I was able to have a better and deep understanding of how the United States is structured to benefit a certain group while denying others opportunities. How those in power acquired their power, work to maintain it through inequality, how these inequalities can a lot of times be correlated, and how can we work together to make a difference. In order to understand inequality we must first identify what are the factors that contribute in creating it. Social class, which can define one’s position in society, contributes to a form of conflict. Social class divisions have always played a prominent role in America. These class distinctions inflict unfair on all Americans. The idea of social class has been a central concept in determining the opportunities a person is capable of having. People from different socioeconomic backgrounds live different lifestyles as well as have different opportunities available to them. The film People Like Us: Social Class in America, discusses the class system, social stratification based on both birth and individual achievement, which the American people use to define...
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...before the founding of our country, the American way of life has, and continues to be, hypocritical to the first lines of the Declaration of Independence. “That all men are created equal.” The lines that every American should hold dear to the heart, and many even lose their lives to uphold. America has seen many times of economic downturn, and economic prosperity. Though for African Americans; economics has been consistently been a downturn. The opportunity to play a role in, and to enjoy economic prosperity has always been an uphill battle for these groups. Racial inequality in America has always been inconsistent with equal opportunity in the job market. Which ultimately means that groups such as African Americans have always been deprived of their equal rights to fairly compete for jobs. Because the level of playing field is heavily shifted against minority groups and woman, there will always be high unemployment for these groups. What people tend to forget to realize is that this disparity in equal opportunity hurts the overall economy. When the nations employers deprive particular groups of economic opportunity, unemployment rises, and when unemployment rises, the poverty level will also rise. This is especially true for the case of African American. As we will see, African Americans fall below Caucasians in median income, and above Caucasians in poverty. We will also see a long history of inequalities towards African Americans in the Housing market. Comparative Median...
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...Racism, Does it Still exist? Keira Garner Liberty University Online Abstract Many people today believe racism doesn’t exist and is a term that existed in times before the 1960’s. Racism is hidden in modern society and it brings separation, hatred, war, and at times social injustice. When most people hear of racism they refer to “slavery”, but many different cultures are discriminated against and faced with racism. Throughout society multiculturalism can be referred to racism. Some cultures are trying to work together to build a better life. Throughout this paper I will discuss how racism can be institutional, learned, cancerous, dangerous, but not accidental. Furthermore, this paper will bring awareness that ethnicity and racial association can determine an individual’s worth personally and their identity. In addition comprehending that racism is yet present in many cultures. Multiculturalism allows one to think that all cultures are equal regardless of one’s moral views. According to Stewart (2012) racism can be defined as speaking, acting or thinking negatively about someone else solely based on that person’s color, class or culture (p. 466). In our society today it is suggested that racism was deleted after the Civil Rights era. The truth is racism is very much present today. Throughout society multiculturalism can be referred to racism. Racism can be known as institutional, learned, cancerous, dangerous, but not accidental. Society tries to portray that racism...
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...Every baseball player's dream is to get into the Hall of Fame, and some players will stretch their limits to help them achieve that dream. One of those limits are steroids. Steroids can change the way players compete. For example, when Sports Illustrated interviewed athletes and asked them, “If you were given a performance enhancing substance and you would not be caught and win, would you take it?". Ninety-eight percent of the athletes responded "Yes" (Baron). This shows that if athletes have a choice of whether or not to take steroids, almost every athlete would take them. It also proves that most athletes these days, including professional baseball players, would take a substance with the sole purpose to win. Since winning is often perceived as being a person’s greatest accomplishment, some players’ will do anything to win and overlook or change themselves to do things they are not supposed to do. However, on the other side of players, ones who worked hard for what they earned do not respect players that take shortcuts and cheat. Players who have cheated to achieve their goal, deserve no respect says Jim Bunning. Jim Bunning is an American Hall of Fame Major League Pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. He said that “If a player is caught using banned substances in an effort to break records, set by players who achieved them through...
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