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One of the trends in this video is that people are starting to think that the American dream is dying. The wage difference is widening and fewer people think that they have achieved the American dream. Even the definition is getting mixed up. Some think of it as success, some freedom, and some opportunity. These videos showed the declining economy and belief in equal opportunity. There were actually more people than I expected that still thought they achieved what they came for. This shows that the American dream is an idea that keeps on changing to fit people’s lives. I think Mrs. Stannard chose these videos because they show different views and sides of the facts.

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A lot of things keep getting more expensive(and my mom keeps saying it over and over whenever she drives by the gas station)and I think that the American dream is becoming harder to achieve, since a lot of people’s American Dream are based on opportunity, a good life, and money. Money is part of that because for example, to have good opportunities, you need to pay for education. If things keep getting more expensive then you don’t have as much money to put into education, and you have to work to get money which means that you have less time for education. Another thing is that if everything keeps getting expensive, then more people won’t be able to afford things and then everything is just going to go downhill from there. This is definitely not what the American Dream is. I think the American Dream is just becoming harder to reach because of this.

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It seems that the American dream is elusive. It’s wild. It’s crazy. It’s powerful, and it’s peaceful. The is no one definition, but it seems like that to get to whatever it is you believe is the American dream you must work hard to get there. Sure you need a lot of luck, but you have to work hard if you want a shot at the American dream. This is the dilemma: work hard and you probably won’t get the American dream but your children probably will, or don’t and have a relaxing life but make it hard for your children. It seems most immigrants choose the former rather than the latter.

By Charlie.

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In these videos, the makers show a wide variety of people. Most of them, however, fall into two categories. Some of the people who have achieved success coming to America believe that The American Dream is about opportunity. They worked hard and achieved success. They believe that if you work hard enough in America, you can achieve a nice life here. On the other side, though, there are people who came to America, worked hard, but haven’t achieved their American Dream. They believed that there were endless opportunities if you work hard, but they worked hard, and still do, but are just getting by. Therefore, it would appear that The American Dream looks good on paper, but really ends up differently for everyone.

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The fact that 64% of Americans don’t believe in the American Dream is very interesting to me. Why do so many people have so little faith in something that has defined America for years? I think that Americans are realizing that social class is the cornerstone in the American dream. If you don’t have good beginnings, even if you work hard, you still won’t be able to achieve it, not without a lot of luck. People who work low paying jobs can be manipulated much more easily because of their little pay, and so they keep working for barely anything. Naturally affluent, high achieving people have a much better chance of “achieving” the traditional American Dream, meanwhile people who aren’t as gifted are left with nothing.

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I find it very interesting that the values people consider the American Dream change. It also surprised me that the shift was aligned with what people had. When people had less money, the dream was about family. When the economy was stable, the dream was about supporting yourself. I expected people to want what they can’t have, but that was not the case. Many people believe they have achieved the American Dream.

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People come to America to give their children a better life. The want their kids to be free, and to be able to do whatever they want without anything holding them back. The Buzzfeed video showed First Generation Americans talking about how their parents had to work really hard to get here. As a First Generation American, I agree with their version of the American Dream because my parents came here to have a better life and to give me a better life. The BBC video was very interesting to see because my parents didn’t come here for money, (even though they came here with none,) they came for freedom. It was interesting to see how not all people prosper by going to America, and how there are still people that have been here for 20 years and are barely paying the bills. These videos make me wonder how we can help people (not just immigrants) succeed.

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The American dream is not the same for everyone because everyone dreams for different things. Most people search for equal rights, opportunity, and freedom. Some people only search for money and some people only care of the freedom they get by escaping their communist country. Some people think they have successfully achieved the American dream. I agree that it is possible. Some people strongly disagree and tell us the struggles they have been through. Even people sneaking back out of America because it isn’t what they had hoped for. The American Dream cannot be achieved by everyone and everyone has a different American dream.

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This video talks about how the American dream has changed from what it once was. At first it was freedom, now it’s money and as the video has shown the money is hard to get and how people came here for freedom. At the start someone talks about how there parents came to America for freedom, and not for money. Later on in another interview with a different person, they talk about how there dad has been working very hard and is making almost no money and after that someone talks about how difficult it is to make decent money nowadays.

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I believe that the American Dream, is to work hard and your efforts will pay off. But certain people who have not achieved, their American Dream oppose this idea. I believe that in this video it shows that coming to America for a better opportunity is good because if you work hard you can become successful. The American Dream varies from person to person. Some is to shelter one another, others is to succeed and become better off. But most of the time it’s just getting by and having the same chances as everyone else. Characters in this video all refer to different people/beliefs, as their American Dream, and naturally it isn’t about the money but the opportunity for them to find a home, and do something with their life.

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The American dream is about having a good life that you worked for. The flaws with this is, there isn’t an equal chance for everyone to reach this goal. This video helps bring out these flaws, as we see people who work just as hard as others but don’t go as far because of race, class, or religion. On the other hand, we see in the video people have the same things but some want more, or feel they deserve more because of how hard they’ve worked. Others grateful for what they’ve been given and satisfied. The American dream means different things to people, but no matter what that dream is, everyone should have an equal chance to reach that dream no matter race, class, or religion.

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I found the idea that the American Dream was a lot about opportunity, and that people have found that they have achieved the American Dream more than usual because of the pandemic, and they have less expectations and wants from the Dream. It’s interesting to see how people’s definitions of those types of general words change depending on the situation. I didn’t think of the American Dream a lot as opportunity, but I thought of it as objects people may want. I agree with that it’s different for everyone, but I see a lot of more general ideas being similar to everyone’s, but the specific goals are different. These videos reinforced some ideas of mine, and gave me others. I feel like I agree with the idea of opportunity a lot, and I see how that could be an idea a lot of people may want.

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This video reinforces some of my ideas, and clarifies some others. I believe that the American dream is all about opportunity. I think the American dream is having the opportunities for work, and having fair rights as others. The American dream is all about freedom and opportunity. Some people have high expectations for the American dream. Sometimes, not everything is fair. But that’s the American dream. Some people’s American dream is to have equal rights as everyone else, but sometimes, those are very high expectations for the American dream.

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The thought of being so close, but so far reinforces my idea. My idea was lots of people sacrifice everything to come to America. They come all this way only to realize they might never reach it. I think Mrs. Stannard wanted to show is these videos because we are learning about what it is from first generation Americans. These people know a lot about the American Dream because they grew up with their parents living or trying to live the American Dream. It is very important and beneficial to learn about how other people live and what they dream.

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In this video, people talk a lot about opportunity. If you work hard, you can be anyone or anything you want to be. This gives people a lot of hope. But, it also talks about people who work really hard, and nothing changes for them. This made me think, that the American Dream is easier for some people than it is for others (and it might have to do with race or gender).

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In this video, people talk a lot about opportunity. If you work hard, you can be anyone or anything you want to be. This gives people a lot of hope. But, it also talks about people who work really hard, and nothing changes for them. This made me think, that the American Dream is easier for some people than it is for others (and it might have to do with race or gender).

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From what I have learned, in the old times, people thought that the American Dream was just living here. Gaining that freedom. However, 1st generations now want more for the Dream, material wealth, rather than just freedom. Others also think it’s just more freedom, rights, and opportunities, no matter what gender, race, or class. In my Opinion, The American Dream is if you work hard enough, no matter your status in life, you can achieve greatness. In 2009, 42% of people believed they achieved the Dream, that number is probably even higher today. This is because in hard times, people lower their expectation for the Dream when they are having a hard time, for example: The Pandemic. So I would estimate maybe 60% now think they have truly, reached the Dream.

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In this video, it identifies the American Dream as international. What I find interesting about this idea is how they consider the “American” dream to be everywhere. But what’s so odd about this concept if how it’s called American when the Dream can be everywhere. The “American” dream is more of a concept than a part of a place. People consider the American Dream from its values more that it’s American roots. Yet all of these people understand that it was called the American Dream because that’s what America can have. The American Dream is everywhere, it’s to be free and live the life you want, and that is truly thought provoking, New York Times.

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This video was true about how i thought of the American Dream. That its always changing and that it is different for everyone. I think Mrs. Standard chose this video because it really shows how the American Dream is not a set hope or dream that is the same for everyone. And the way you interpret the American Dream can be a different goal for each of people. It also doesn't have to be just to Americans. I think that there can be an American Dream for people outside the country as well. Most immigrants came to America because they believed in the American Dream whatever that may be for them.

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First-Generation Americans Talk About The American Dream

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"I think I am my parents' American Dream."

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Greetings Navigators!
Please watch all four videos about the American Dream in the order provided from left to right.  Once you have watched the videos, develop a 6-8 sentence response to one or more of the videos.  You choose which videos are most important to you and your ideas about the American Dream. How did the video(s) you chose clarify, reinforce, or challenge your ideas about The American Dream?  Why do you think Mrs. Stannard chose these videos? What do you think of the choices? Are there videos missing?

Please use the Padlet arrows to connect your response to the videos you focus on as well as any classmates' comments that are related to your ideas.

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Defining the American Dream- New York Times

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Defining the American Dream- New York Times

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National: Defining the American Dream | The New York Times

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Martha Teichner heads to the Rust Belt town of Port Clinton, Ohio, and hears the stories of people from all walks of life struggling to acquire the American Dream. What is that dream today? And is it, as some believe, getting harder to achieve?

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Martha Teichner heads to the Rust Belt town of Port Clinton, Ohio, and hears the stories of people from all walks of life struggling to acquire the American Dream. What is that dream today? And is it, as some believe, getting harder to achieve?