Quinn Daniels

Mr.Smith

Junior English

October 5, 2022

American Dream Essay

Americans all over the country have been striving to reach this nearly impossible life of

riches, family, and good health. The American Dream has been around for centuries. It sets

unrealistic goals for typical Americans while highlighting the few success stories. Along with the

American dream comes many obstacles to achieving it; including racism and financial issues.

One obstacle in the way of achieving the American dream is the topic of racism.

Langstonn Hughes expresses, “I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother.” (Hughes) In

Hughes' poem, he talks about being POC (people of color) in America. He uses a metaphor of a

dinner table to talk about racism expressed by fellow Americans. Originally, he was sent to the

kitchen to eat simply because of the color of his skin. As America grows and changes, he is able

to eat at the table. But racism is still there affecting and deciding what POC can achieve in

America. Similar to Hughes' poem, John Cho discusses the challenges he faced trying to achieve

the American dream as an Asian American during the pandemic. “Asian Americans are

experiencing such a moment right now. The pandemic is reminding us that our belonging is

conditional. One moment we are Americans, the next we are all foreigners, who ‘brought’ the

virus here.” (Cho) Cho expresses how other groups of Americans are experiencing a sense of

disbelonging that is completely understandable. Americans tend to only accept other races in

America who ‘play the part’. This makes it difficult for POC and Asian Americans to achieve the

American dream because they are regularly being stereotyped by what they look like on the
outside. We, as Americans, must change the way we view other people. Something as simple as a

stereotype can be the deciding factor of a major life goal for POC and Asian Americans.

Another obstacle faced by POC in their effort to achieve the American Dream is

disproportionate finances. As Sandra Cisneros writes in The House on Mango Street,

“Everybody has to share a bedroom—Mama and Papa, Carlos and Kiki, me and Nenny.”

(Cisneros) The American Dream is not fit for people with financial issues. If you grow up in a

family who lives day by day with their money, then it ends up being harder to be successful in

life. You need money for things like education, food, and housing which are all big factors of

reaching the American Dream. This is also demonstrated in ABC News’s “Pennsylvania

Firefighter”. “We’re working, it’s not like we’re not working. It’s just not enough money to

support you.” (Pennsylvania Firefighter) Most middle class Americans don’t make enough

money to reach the American Dream. They may work multiple jobs and find different and new

ways to save their money; but it isn’t enough. The American Dream is nearly impossible to

achieve for middle class Americans.

The American Dream is challenging to achieve for typical Americans. There are many

obstacles in the way that are unnecessary and should be changed.

 American Dream Essay Rubric

Skill Advanced Proficient Foundational Not

Yet
Thesis establishes a Appears in first Identifies a topic
complex claim paragraph

Thesis establishes a
topic and a claim

Thesis Comments:
 Includes specific, Includes multiple pieces Includes two or
meaningful, and of evidence (from 4 fewer sources
well-chosen evidence sources) that clearly
that relates to the relate to the thesis Some evidence
thesis relates to the thesis
Includes multiple pieces
of evidence in each body
Evidence paragraph

Comments:

Explains well-selected Explains how evidence Summarizes

points of comparison supports topic sentence sources
among sources and of individual paragraphs
evidence and their
connection to the Explains how evidence
thesis supports the thesis of
Analysis the essay

Comments:

Clearly explains Explains how the Little connection Not

relationships among texts/sources are between texts; yet
texts (how they related, though points difficult for the
confirm or challenge could be more selective reader to see how
each other, build on or better developed the texts are
each other, provide related
Synthesis differing perspectives, Includes multiple
etc.) sources in each body
paragraph

Comments:

No errors in MLA format Heading is correctly Some elements

formatted missing or some
 errors in MLA
Pages are numbered format

In-text citations are

correctly formatted

Works Cited format:

hanging indent,
double-spaced,
MLA Format alphabetized, starts on a
new page

Works Cited: each source

entry is in correct MLA
format
Comments:

All quotes are correctly Most quotes are correctly Shows evidence of
integrated integrated basic proofreading

Shows evidence of Follows essay

Conventions careful proofreading organization

Shows evidence of
proofreading

Comments:

Quinn,
Some work to be done here…
● Expand analysis
● Select strong evidence
● Properly integrate quotes
● Incorporate all parts of MLA
● Make thesis and topic sentence connections
If you want to rewrite, I’m more than happy to help you out… just let me know.

Grade: C-