American Cultural Myth - America as a Land of Opportunity - Research Paper Example

No: American Cultural Myth: America as a Land of Opportunity Myths are part of any country’s civilization and culture and play a crucial part in designing the ideals for its people. Some myths not only affect the country’s own population but other people belonging to other lands as well. Like other countries, America also has a number of cultural myths that are of significance for the people of America. Its cultural myths have extended beyond its borders. The myth that America is a land of opportunity is of great importance for the people of America as well as to those who enter America with an idea that they will have some opportunity to uncover their fortune. This myth can be traced back to the origin of America. However, in today’s scenario, how much this myth still holds true today will be considered in this paper. America originated to provide opportunities to its entrants; however, it has not fulfilled its promise to its full extent. This fact cannot be denied that America accommodated all who entered its territories but the resident will see progress and success is not wholly true. Franklin Benjamin, in his article, “America as the Land of Opportunity” (1751), explains that America was a new land, which had space for many entrants and offered people with their bright futures. The land was very accommodative and the level of people’s profession increased with their struggle in the profession as Franklin Benjamin (1751) informs that America was a place, “where no Man continues long a Laborer for others, but gets a Plantation of his own, no Man continues long a Journeyman to a Trade but goes among those new Settlers, and set up for himself” and so on. Every person who entered the new land had an opportunity to see himself and his family prosperous and successful. American dream is an interrelated term with the myth of America as a land of opportunity. American dream deals with the idea of provision of equal rights and better life to all (Cullen 122). America got the reputation of a land of opportunity when in eighteenth century, people were offered to buy cheap land in America for farming purposes (Brueggmann 48). People were able to get ownership of the land with as minimum price as possible and the authorities were of the opinion that American land was better than any other land in terms of farming. There was chance for one’s family to receive better educational, health and other facilities. The American dream allowed the new settlers to enjoy their lives the way they liked. They were given all the opportunities to lead a happy life with all the facilities that they required. There were no restrictions for the new settlers in terms of exercising their religious practices, promoting their cultures and making use of their own languages due to which, America is a multicultural country today where we can find people from diverse cultures all over the world (Cullen 126). This provides the original definition of America as a land of opportunity. Eighteenth century saw the early settlers in America while with the passage of time, people from different nations came for settling purposes to America (Brueggmann 51). These people also showed interest towards transforming their luck. They had high rated ideas about their future success and development. America as a new land offered its dwellers with all the chances that it could provide. However, when people assembled in America to a large extent, they faced the same deprivations as others faced in their own countries. Pete Davis (2009) explains about America’s being a land of opportunity as an image that is incorrectly built as he informs that other nations provide better facilities to their residents in terms of mobility as compared to America. People are not able to transform their status altogether because of economic problems that shift from one generation to other. According to Pete Davis (2009), “if you're born poor in America, you're likely to remain poor” because the status is retained and opportunities of success are less. It was the America of eighteenth century that was the land of dreams not today’s America. The myth that America is a land of opportunity is not true in today’s scenario where people are deprived of their rights, where we can find inequality, where we can witness racism and prejudice and where people are dealt unequally on the basis of their obtained wealth and status. The New York Times in its article, “The Land of Opportunity” inform that “Mobility between generations — people doing better or worse than their parents — is weaker in America than in Denmark, Austria, Norway, Finland, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Spain and France. In America, there is more than a 40 percent chance that if a father is in the bottom fifth of the earnings’ distribution, his son will end up there, too”. (The New York Times 2007) American dream is not that much true as it is viewed from outside. America provides less than equal chances to prosper and succeed than other countries. The chances of progress in America are less as compared to the other countries. The parents who are rich and bounteous are able to facilitate their children with better educational and career support. They also enable their children to enjoy better health facilities, however, the parents who are poor and deprived are unable to support their children fully, even they are unable to accommodate their children in terms of provision of better health, education, food and living conditions (The New York Times 2007). As it is stated in the myth that America enables everyone to climb the ladder of success, it is not right. The poor cannot enjoy what is enjoyed by the rich. There is class discrimination and inequality due to which, American dream is rejected. The government should take the responsibility of the poor in terms of provision of health, educational and nutritional facilities but it shows no concern towards this significant issue (The New York Times 2007). People are deprived of their due rights. They cannot enjoy all the facilities of life due to which, America can no more be considered as a land of opportunities. The government should divide the opportunities equally between the dwellers of America to give them the feel that America fulfills its promises and it is still a land of opportunity for everyone willing to be a part of America. To make America the land of opportunities, much is required as stated by William Greider as, “People need power--more power to say what they think without getting fired and to make choices that are more in line with their values and aspirations. They need more security--which would give them the self-confidence to explore new options without dooming their families to poverty.” (Greider 2009) This means that people should have the choice to voice their feelings and aims. They should not be restricted to stab their voices in fear to suffer losses. They should be facilitated with freedom and liberty to do what they like keeping in view their own cultures and traditions without any hindrance. They should also not be threatened that in case of going for their choice, they will cause their children to suffer (Brueggmann 49). As a land of opportunity, America has a major responsibility towards its nationals. People should enjoy liberty and power to choose what is appropriate for them. Human struggle should be valued the most instead of wealth and class. One who struggles the most, should be in advantage. According to William Greider (2009), every American should have the right to do a job of his choice and this job should be provided to him either by private sector or public sector. Greider (2009) further informs that every person who is interested to work should be able to own his own work. The worker should enjoy the same reputation and rights as that of owner. And in the last, Greider (2009) also says that a way should be provided to the social values. Government responsibility cannot be negated as it is the government that can assist people in gaining their lost rights. The government is able to keep track of deprived and support them accordingly. The status of America as the land of liberty and happiness is questioned by Drachman (1934) as he says that religious and intellectual freedom, political and social equality, economic prosperity, cultural liberty, crime control and many other such issues are not given importance by American government (p. 18-19). However, the significance of these issues cannot be rejected. America should accommodate its nationals with liberty and happiness as it promises so that they can feel America as a land of opportunities. America promises a lot many developmental steps and believes in the provision of what the dwellers like but is hesitant in the provision of all what an individual requires. There can be class differences found in the society, the health requirements of all the American nationals are not fulfilled, racial discrimination can be seen and felt, provision of facilities and services is not equally done, and nutritional rights are not fully met and so on. American government should take essential steps to prove that it still considers America as the land of opportunities. The myth that America is a land of opportunities is not true in today’s scenario as its promises are not fulfilled and American government should not only reject the notion that no wishes are fulfilled but it should also take necessary steps towards enabling people to fulfill their dreams on their dream land. The issues of social and racial discrimination, inequality, justice, crime control, intellectual development, equal educational rights and equal health rights, all should be provided to the Americans as promised by the land. The mythical statement that America is a land of opportunities is not true in today’s scenario and much effort is required to take America to that status. Works Cited Brueggemann, John. Rich, Free, and Miserable: The Failure of Success in America. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. Cullen, Jim. The American dream: a short history of an idea that shaped a nation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. Davis, Pete. America, The Land of Opportunity. Capital Gains and Games: Washington, Wall Street and Everything in Between, October 28, 2009. Retrieved on June 12, 2011 from http://capitalgainsandgames.com/blog/pete-davis/1218/america-land-opportunity Drachman, Bernard. Looking at America. Stratford: Ayer Publishing, 1934. Also available at http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=5IHejKM31JAC&dq=America+as+the+Land+of+Opportunity&source=gbs_navlinks_s Franklin, Benjamin. America as a Land of Opportunity. Digital History, 1751. Retrieved on June 12, 2011 from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=233 Greider, William. The Future of the American Dream. The Nation, May 25, 2009. Retrieved on June 11, 2011 from http://www.thenation.com/article/future-american-dream The New York Times. The Land of Opportunity? The New York Times, July 13, 2007. Retrieved on June 12, 2011 from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/13/opinion/13fri2.html Read More