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Just a Dream

I live in the richest state in America, on a per-capita basis. I live in the secondrichest county in Maryland. I wonder if this gives me a great advantage in achieving
upward mobility? Does living in such an affluent area give me a promising chance to
thrive in this country, even if Im not rich? Perhaps I can succeed, but the idea of the
American Dream supposes that anyone, regardless of socioeconomic class or race or
gender can make their way up the economic ladder through hard work and
determination. But in reality, the American Dream is only a blurry flashback to how
things used to be, when being American meant being full of hope for opportunity. There
is strong evidence that only some Americans can achieve this life goal because of an
increasingly hierarchical society.
One of the contradicting parts of the problem is that Americans just dont believe
how much inequality is occurring in todays society (Fitz). Part of this is caused by a
wish that the American Dream is still true. The original ideal of the American Dream is
for anyone to be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable,
and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous
circumstances of birth or position." (Adams pg .214-215) The dream gives Americans
and immigrants hope for an escape from past misfortunes and for a better life. But it is
unfair to feed people the fabrication that they can escape poverty and work your way
up. That is just not realistic anymore. The most detrimental part of poverty today is that,
it is a vicious cycle, that keeps most Americans stuck below the poverty line. There is

less money spent on social improvement and education which would enable people to
get higher-paying jobs. When people say the dream is a myth, they are right. The gap
between the rich and the poor has widely increased in the past 40 years (Salles)
Starting in the 1970s, working-class people have seen their incomes stagnate or decline
because of increased automation, the movement of industrial jobs overseas, the slow
increase in minimum wages, and a decline in union membership. So many families
have faced lower incomes and less chance to achieve what their parents had. Sharp
increases in college tuition have made it more difficult to acquire an education, leaving
many millennials heavily indebted for after college. Furthermore, having a college
education doesnt guarantee you a career. I think if America, as a whole, could
understand the deeper causes and effects of income inequality, the priority would be to
help the poor, instead of cutting taxes for the affluent.
Where I live, income inequality is not very high but has slowly increased in the
past decades. In Montgomery County, per capita income is $48,357 which is a very
high average, one of the highest in America. But in Montgomery County there is a 7
percent poverty rate and in Maryland 1 in 8 families struggle to pay for groceries. Also,
certain minorities tend to earn lower wages because of language or educational
disadvantages. The proportion of minorities in Montgomery County has increased from
26 percent in 1990 to 45 percent in 2015, leaving the majority non-Hispanic white
segment at 55 percent (Income Inequality, Para. 7) Even with this prodigious change,
minorities, especially women, earn lower wages. For every dollar a man makes, Latina
women make only 47 cents and African American women make 70 cents (Scott). Being

a minority, a woman or both, can hinder the ability to rise above the poverty line, and
without extended education, their incomes are often spent on necessities.
In Montgomery County, wealthy families tend to have two educated parents, often with
two incomes. They may live in safe, suburban neighborhoods. Their children likely go to
superior schools and have positive mentors. They will most likely go on to higher
education and higher-paying jobs. The poor dont always have the best schools and
have higher rates of single parent families, which may cause developmental issues for
children, delaying learning of vital skills for jobs (Gupta). With such upbringings, they
are more likely to have discontinued education and end up working minimum wage jobs
(Effects of Poverty). Depending on the area in Montgomery County, some achieve the
American Dream, due to education. Education is the key to realizing the dream. I am
thankful to live here and go to an outstanding public school which will heighten my
chances of financial stability and ultimately, happiness.
The idea that our class defines our outcome in life is unfortunate but true. This is
caused by a deeper cultural misunderstanding and we must open our eyes and
embrace other classes and backgrounds, expose ourselves to different ways of life.
Instead of focusing on a dream, lets focus on reality and be kind to all people, no matter
their walk of life. One day, maybe the American Dream will be a reality, for everyone.

Parenthetical Citations
Geewax, Marilyn. "The Numbers Add Up To This: Less And Less Opportunity For Poor Kids."
NPR. NPR, 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
Adams, James Truslow. The Epic of America. Boston: Little Brown, 1931. Print.
Fitz, Nicholas. "Economic Inequality: It's Far Worse Than You Think." Scientific American.
Scientific American, 31 Mar. 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.

Salles, Joaquim Moreira. "The Wealth Gap Between Rich And Poor Is The Widest Ever
Recorded." ThinkProgress. ThinkProgress, 18 Dec. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
"Income Inequality Tending to Grow." (2010): n. pag. Maryland Department of Planning
Web.<https://planning.maryland.gov/msdc/Income_Inequality/incomeinequality_1980_2000.pdf
>.
Scott, Mark. "Despite Significant Progress In Maryland, Women Are Still Underpaid." Despite
Significant Progress In Maryland, Women Are Still Underpaid. Maryland Center on Economic
Policy, 14 Apr. 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.
Gupta, Rita Paul-Sen, Margaret L De Wit, and David McKeown. "The Impact of Poverty on the
Current and Future Health Status of Children." Paediatrics & Child Health. Pulsus Group Inc,
n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2015

"Effects of Poverty, Hunger, and Homelessness on Children and Youth." American

Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.