What is the American dream in general and what is the American dream in Los Angeles - Essay Example

What is the American dream in general and what is the American dream in Los Angeles The American Dream in General The American dream is the widespread aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did (Princeton). In what ways can those who aspire to fulfill this dream achieve this Many people, mostly immigrants, who want to realize this dream see America as a paradise where they can enjoy a life that is better than the lives they left behind in the country where they came from, or better than the life that their parents lived, either in their home countries or in America itself. And in what ways may life in America be better Although the exact definition of the American dream is still the subject of intelligent discussion, it has many clear characteristics. The first is freedom. In America, there is freedom, which many define as the power to do whatever they want. Unlike in other countries where a dictator rules, laws are arbitrary, and freedom is limited, America is a land of the free where the rule of law is supreme. Here, you can do almost everything provided, of course, you follow laws that encourage respect and tolerance for one another. In America, you know that your freedom should not go against the freedom of another, and as long as you follow the rules and respect the others, you will do well. Another aspect of the American dream is equality. In America, everyone is equal. There is no discrimination, and each one is guided by respect for the others. Every one is seen as a human being with dignity, and here in America we can keep our dignity. In America, we value hard work. This is a place where you can survive if you work hard. Of course, we also value rest and recreation and see it as one of the just rewards for all our hard work, so we know how to enjoy life, which is also part of the American dream. Not only that. The American dream promotes the notion that if you work hard, success is yours. And if all of us work hard, we will all be successful and enjoy wealth that we never enjoyed before, better than the way our parents enjoyed the rewards of their hard work. After all, America is the most powerful and richest nation on earth, so equality means that all of us who work hard should grow rich together. The American dream is all these - in a land of freedom and equality, hard work and success will bring wealth and happiness - and for some, a bit more. That is the theory. As Easterbrook (186-187) explains, this has not been the case, and that "until approximately the current generation, the majority of Americansfailed to achieve most of the American dream" and so they "urged their children to continue their quest." The American Dream in Los Angeles One of the places in America where the American dream shines the brightest is Los Angeles, California. It is the home of Hollywood, America's (and the world's) factory of dreams. It is a place where a beautiful body, a handsome face, and the talent to act in front of a camera can help anyone fulfill the American dream in the shortest possible time. This was true in the past, when there were few actors in the business, and success went easily to the daring and the beautiful. The competition among aspiring actors in recent years has made reaching the American dream more difficult, and only those who are really very good in what they do and are willing to work harder than the rest get to fulfill their dream to be famous and rich. Another aspect of the American dream in Los Angeles is glamour and glitz. In a case of life imitating art, many of those who work in the county develop the notion that in a place full of many large mansions like in Beverly Hills where rich Hollywood producers, artists, and stars may have their homes, they have a greater chance to share in all that glamourand wealth. Thinking perhaps that they can have a slice of all that wealth flowing out of studios and multimillion-dollar mansions, just sticking around and making yourself available to work at anything, even waiting at tables or valet parking for movie premieres, they can earn big bucks and be on their way to fulfilling the American dream. They may be disappointed, as the following images will show. Dreams High on a mountainside are the large white letters spelling H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D. Many people pronounce it as "Paradise." Photos of these world-famous letters (Figure 1) have captivated those who see it, but unless you have been there yourself, you may not realize what it really means. Yes, it is true; the letters are indeed large (several feet in height every single one of them), but if you are standing at street level in the county, those words are too far away and too high up that they look rather small, telling you in effect that you cannot reach fame and fortune if you are faint-hearted. If you want to see the word up close and to appreciate its real dimensions, you have to get out of the street and work your way up hundreds of feet to get there. Or rather, you have to "claw" your way up because there are thousands, maybe even tens of thousands like you, who have the same dream. Nothing comes easy in this entertainment town where millions have to be contented just to admire the few thousands who succeed. Equality If everyone in Los Angeles aspire to be actors, who will cook their food Who will clean the house Asian Americans, that's who, like the Korean hotel and restaurant workers who are manning the picket line to protest low wages. According to the caption of this photo (Figure 2), these picketing workers sent shock waves through the hotels industry not only in Los Angeles but in other states as well. Luckily, the glamorous Wilshire Grand Hotel (in the background), temporary shelter of American dream seekers, is owned by a Korean company, so in true Asian tradition the company caved in to the demands of the workers and restored labor peace. The perception that America as a land where everyone is equal can be as easily dashed in Los Angeles, the scene of violent race riots in the past (remember the beating by police officers of motorist Rodney King in 1992). Social tensions boil underneath the surface, and unfortunately most of it is real, not just as in a movie. Hard Work From time to time, someone with real talent gets to fulfill the American dream in his lifetime, like Jamie Foxx who in this photo (Figure 3) is receiving the Oscar Best Actor Award in 2005 for his role as blind singer-musician Ray Charles. I still remember his acceptance speech where he thanked his grandma for "whupping" him when he needed it. It was a moving experience because he showed what achieving the dream really consists of: hard work, discipline, guts, and perseverance. He succeeded because he worked hard, and because he became good at what he was doing. But fame has its downside. Unless he continues working hard and staying disciplined, all his accomplishments do not guarantee a prosperous future. There are many examples of shining stars where drugs, sex, and violence shortened their careers while they were at the top because they did not have discipline. Success For those willing to sacrifice long hours of work and are even more willing to handle the fame that goes with it, some form of everlasting glory is assured, even if it is just a star on the sidewalk with your name on it (Figure 4). The Walk of Fame shown in the photo runs east to west on Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue, and north to south on Vine Street between Yucca Street and Sunset Boulevard. Since 1958, it has paid tribute to artists working in the entertainment industry. It is rather ironic that such a monument to the talent and success of stars that rose and shone in the entertainment heavens comes in this form. Is it a reminder similar to what Roman emperors had, where a slave constantly whispered in their ears the words: "Remember, you are but a man!" The Walk of Fame is a reminder to those who have reached the heights of success that they can as quickly fall to the ground and be trodden underfoot by the least of men. Or, does it give the stars the message that they need to put their hearts and minds on the ground so that others, notably those aspiring to fulfill the American dream, can follow in their footsteps Like an artistic film from a deep-thinking director, this monument to greatness in Los Angeles may have a message for anyone who walks across it. Wealth One aspect of the American dream that continues to puzzle me is this: if we all work hard to make ourselves and America rich, why are there still poor people around (Figure 5) in a county where there are so many mansions too large to live in and where a lucky and hard-working few earn more than enough money to spend in several lifetimes Is the fulfillment of the American dream purely a personal goal (let the others do as I did and they too will be rich) Or should those who succeed understand some cosmic purpose to their lives and use the talents they have to let the others around them share, or maybe at least be encouraged, to aspire to fulfill their own version of the dream Or is it the other way around Instead of the successful ones using their talent and wealth to send the homeless and the poor a message, maybe the homeless and the poor are sending the wealthy and successful ones their own deeper message Perhaps, the American dream is not really about hard work, success, and wealth if one cannot happily enjoy freedom, peace of mind, and a simple life. Maybe the quarter of a million homeless in L.A. (Tepper, et al., 1) are asking a deeper question - are you, with all your success and wealth, happy In the process, they are redefining the American dream in their own way. Works Cited: Easterbrook, Gregg. The Progress Paradox. New York: Random House, 2003. Figure 1. "Hollywood Sign." 24 January 2006. Figure 2. "Hotel Strike." 24 January 2006. Figure 3. "Jamie Foxx." 24 January 2006. Figure 4. "Walk of Fame." 24 January 2006. Figure 5. "Homeless in L.A." 24 January 2006. Princeton University. "American Dream." 24 January 2006. Tepper, Paul, J. B. Simpson, and E. Huang. Eds. "Homelessness in Los Angeles" Report by the Institute for the Study of Poverty and Homelessness at the Weingart Center. August 2004. Figure 1. Hollywood Sign. Figure 2. Hotel Workers. Figure 3. Jamie Foxx. Figure 4. Walk of Fame. Figure 5. Homeless in L.A. Read More