Modernizing the American dream

When the idea of the “American Dream” was coined in the early 1930’s by American author James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America, it was very different from its current form. Today, when you think of the American Dream it is centered around materialism, whether that be fancy cars, big mansions, or the newest iPhone. This directly contrasts to the original American Dream, which was based more in morals, and “a dream of a social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and recognized by others for what they are” as Adams puts it.

photo by sophie confer

To begin with, it is hard to imagine how the American Dream changed so drastically over a short period of time. After its introduction in the ‘30s, the term was not widely used until the 1960’s, when it became more well known due to its use in advertisements and speeches, most notably Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. 

As the term progressed throughout the 70’s and into the 80’s, the American Dream slowly became more and more connected to its current form of materialism. It was pitched by advertisers —specifically home builders— that it’s more patriotic to buy a lot of stuff for everyone to see. The meaning shifted even more as the market filled with many more consumer goods, and the American Dream has retained this philosophy of materialism ever since.

Juswin Judge, 10, also believes the American Dream is much different than it used to be. 

“I think the American Dream is dead,” Juswin said. “I feel that my family is a good example of the old American Dream. My Grandpa moved here, and was able to put himself through medical school and start a practice to set his family up for success… [but] I don’t think he’d be able to accomplish that today.” And he isn’t wrong in that. According to U.S. News, as of 2019 only 17% of international students are accepted into medical school, which is less than half the acceptance rate of U.S. citizens.

 The American Dream has arguably become much harder to achieve, with its goals reaching higher heights with each passing year, all while the means necessary to attain those goals become scarcer than ever.