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Revised Copy of Kayla Whitty - 2022 American Dream Essay Template Rubric
Revised Copy of Kayla Whitty - 2022 American Dream Essay Template Rubric
Kayla Whitty
Mr. Pace
Discrimination across the United States makes it impossible for people to achieve the
American Dream. The American Dream itself is the idea of having equal opportunities for goals
to be achieved, such as rising economically. But this idea becomes harder to achieve because of
the inequities that many Americans still face today. The discriminatory aspects presented in the
United States make it impossible for many people of different race or gender to achieve the
American Dream.
Hiring discrimination across the United States has made it so the American Dream
remains impossible to achieve for many black and Latino job applicants. In a field study that
accounted for education, gender, and market conditions, it was found that the “levels of
discrimination against black job applicants hasn’t changed since 1990” (Quillian et al.). In a
society that prides itself on inclusivity, hiring discrimination should have already been
eliminated. The study concluded that when companies received identical applications, white
applicants were receiving considerably more callbacks compared to black and Latino applicants,
with white applicants receiving “36% more callbacks than black applicants'' (Quillian et al.).
This hiring discrimination makes it impossible for many black and Latino applicants to even
consider the American Dream, which is supposed to mean equal opportunities. Rising
economically is dependent on employment, showing that the discrimination in the United States
makes it impossible for people of different races to achieve this abstract dream. This same idea
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was also demonstrated in another randomized field experiment where facilitators randomly
assigned either a “black” sounding name or a “white” sounding name to a résumé in order to test
which was more likely to be hired even if another candidate was better qualified: “Resumes with
white-sounding names received 50 percent more callbacks than those with black-sounding
names” (Discrimination in the job market in the United States: The abdul latif jameel poverty
action lab). Even though discrimination based on race was made illegal in 1964, many people
will still choose the “whiter” sounding name when choosing between the two, putting people of
color at a disadvantage when pursuing careers. This study helped build onto the first study listed,
proving that despite the numerous laws that are in place to stop discrimination from occurring,
people of color are continuosally not given equal opportunities to help them rise economically.
The two sources are also able to provide different perspectives, with Quillian focusing on both
black and latino applicants, and the poverty action lab focusing on the sole comparison between
white and black. Although both sources give an account of discrimination, the first study had
clear parameters, sharing the race of applicants, while the second study focused on assumptions.
Assumptions made in the second study are proof that people will take away equal opportunity
based on preconceived notions, such as a name sounding “white” or “black”. When people are
discriminated against because of their race, it makes it harder for them to find jobs that will
support their goals. Even though discrimination was outlawed, people are still taught aspects of
racism that have been present in the United States for centuries. It has been made apparent that a
law will not change how people think, but changing how the nation teaches could make people
clearly identify the inequalities that are seen across the United States, encouraging them to help
stop discrimination that leads to black and latino applicants being blocked from achieving the
American Dream.
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Discrimination against women in the job market is something that has gained attention
due to its heavy presence on social media. This discrimination can typically look two different
ways. Women are either presumed as not being able to handle a job or the physical capacities it
requires, or they don’t receive equal pay in comparison to their male counterparts. In the book
Behold the Dreamers written by Imbolo Mbue, Neni is looking to pursue a job as a pharmacist
and goes to the Dean of her school to discuss the path she should take, but when telling him of
her aspirations, he responds, “Perhaps another career path may be better suited for someone like
you” (Mbue 296), referring to the fact that Neni was juggling children, school, and work. He was
implying that she could not handle working for a degree on top of her other responsibilities,
despite her husband, Jende, having the same responsibilities. The difference between the two is
that Jende is encouraged to pursue any dreams he may have, but Neni is discouraged because of
her gender and the gender roles typically assigned to women. This is just one example of many,
with women in the workforce being questioned in regards to how much they can handle, making
it impossible for them to rise economically. Mbue’s writing connects to hiring discrimination
topics covered by Quillian and The Poverty Action Lab, with people not being hired due to
preconceived notions that are associated with both race and gender. On top of the biases that
women face, there is also the significant wage gap that has not made any significant
improvement. When comparing the pay of a woman to a man’s singular dollar, the gap may not
appear significant, but a collection of data concluded that “it would take an extra 42 days of work
for women to earn what men did in 2020” (Barroso and Brown). This means that even if women
continue to work the same amount of time as men, they will always be at an automatic
disadvantage because of the gap between their wages. The research done by Barroso and Brown
ties all of the studies together, showing that discrimination in the workforce has made it
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impossible to achieve the American Dream. All sources tie their conclusions to a common cause,
discrimination, meaning that if there was not discrimination in the workforce, many would be
given the opportunity to rise economically. A cycle of learned helplessness also plays a role in
the continuous discrimination, making people believe that they are not capable of achieving what
others were able to achieve, making many dismiss the wage gap that is putting them at a
disadvantage. Women are not a stranger to being discriminated against, but when it comes to
something that everyone should have, such as equal opportunities, it is only fair that women are
given the same opportunity as men to work towards their goal, which means no wage gap and no
When thinking about the discrimination that frequently happens in the United States, you
may not be thinking about how it directly affects people’s ability to achieve the American
Dream. These texts all directly relate to how people’s discrimination can make it impossible for
others to achieve the American Dream. If people aren't given the opportunity to achieve the
American Dream, laws should be put in place nation-wide that ensure equal job opportunities,
education, and pay. If any part of an individual’s definition of the American Dream includes
Works Cited
Barroso, Amanda, and Anna Brown. “Gender Pay Gap in U.S. Held Steady in 2020.” Pew
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/05/25/gender-pay-gap-facts/.
“Discrimination in the Job Market in the United States: The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty
Action Lab.” The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), 2004,
https://www.povertyactionlab.org/evaluation/discrimination-job-market-united-state
s.
Mbue, Imbolo. Behold the Dreamers. Large Print Press, a Part of Gale, Cengage Learning,
2017.
Quillian, Lincoln, et al. “Hiring Discrimination against black Americans Hasn't Declined in
https://hbr.org/2017/10/hiring-discrimination-against-black-americans-hasnt-decline
d-in-25-years.
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Thesis establishes a
topic and a claim
Thesis Comments:
Includes multiple
Evidence pieces of evidence in
each body
paragraph
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Comments:
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