The American Dream
There is no universal definition of the term American dream but all the definition talk about the ethos of equality, opportunity and freedom sort by every American citizen. The phrase was popularized by James Adams in the 1930’s whose idea was rooted in the US declaration of independence that declares that all men are created equal. The American people have absolute right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. This means that the American citizen has the right to personal happiness and material comfort. For this reason many foreigners have migrated into America in search of the American dream. The American economy was for a long time a stable economy providing investors with the opportunity to grow. In essence the American dream provides American citizens with the opportunity to excel provided that they are luck and persevere.
The American dream does not discriminate as it considers all men to be created equal. It does not give the citizen a guarantee that hard work will always pay off. Some people may work hard and succeed will other may work less and still succeed. Microsoft co founder Bill Gates can be considered as a perfect example of the American dream. The Harvard drop out quit school to start what is arguably the largest software producer in the globe. Bill Gates followed his dream and through luck made the right decisions such as the agreement with IBM which propelled his company into software market. Though he is not from a very humble background, he is according to Forbes the richest man in the planet.
He is a hard worker as he worked hand in hand with the programmers during the early days of the company to ensure that all the products fit the requirements of the customers. This personal touch to his business ensured that the management could guarantee the quality of the final product. He reached the American dream through determination and sheer hard work; some may consider his efforts being reduced by the available market in the technological business. Some of the company’s business practices may be considered unethical such as creating a monopolistic environment which cuts down competition for the company. It should however be noted that his philanthropic gestures and providing employment for people who want to peruse the American dream is part of giving back to the community (De 211).
The American dream does not necessarily refer to American citizens that have achieved success in their line of work. Richard Branson is arguably one of the most successful high school dropouts in the world of business. His success story epitomizes the concept of the American dream in many ways. He started from scratch to found one of the most successful company’s in the globe. Virgin group of companies started as a small recording studio which later grew to incorporate other businesses such as the airline business. The business man is now very influential in the global business scene as his companies have ventured in many of the countries. The English man has succeeded to acquire and accumulate wealth through investing in many industries. His personal commitment into his businesses can be seen in the way he joins the advertisement team to market his company. He is according to Forbes the forth richest Englishman in England. He provides employment opportunities and contributes to charity as part of sharing his dream. He has invested in several ventures in the American market which can be considered as part of his success story (Hellriegel and John 113).
The American dream concept can be viewed as achieving the impossible using a limited amount of resources. Philip Maung is the CEO of Hissho Sushi can be used to exemplify the American dream. Philip came to the United States from Burma with only 13 dollars. His wife helped him found the company Hissho Sushi which dealt with sushi distribution to major supermarkets hotels among other institutions in the American market. This shows how the American dream can be achieved through hard work and determination and a bit of luck. For a person who came to the US with 13 dollars and a dream of succeeding, achieving this level of success shows that the American dream is achievable.
Determination is a key ingredient to the American dream. Philip came to the US a poor immigrant and through determination was able to improve his financial status in the competitive market. The business which grew in 2009 despite of poor economic time attributes it growth to the passion and dedication of the people an entrepreneur interacts with. According to Philip, achieving the American dream comes easy for some people while others need to straggle. This is because fortune influences the American dream despite the need to work hard and be dedicated. America has a large population providing a wealth of opportunities that an individual can exploit to fulfill the American dream. Philip’s business is an example of how one can use the available opportunities to achieve the American dream (Davis 58).
The meaning of the American dream differs across the social groups in the society due to the achievements targeted. While the likes of Bill Gates and Richard Branson signify a class of wealthy individuals with big dreams, some people have smaller dreams that can be classified as the American dream. Getting high grades in high school can lead to a college sponsorship into a good college and a thus a high GPA. A high GPA translates into a good employment opportunity with a high salary. This scenario can be considered as an American dream for most individuals in the lower and middle class individuals. The bar is set much lower in the scenario as some of these dreams are considered achievable. The growth of Microsoft was not predicted to dominate the software market thus the difference in the definition of the American dream.
Owning a home shows the difference between the middle class from the poor in the society. For the poor individuals, owning a home can be considered an American dream as it gives the individual status change in the society. The American dream addresses the changing consumerism culture in the society. Existing in one of the richest societies in the world with abundant resources is part of the American dream. Pursuit of a free market where the customer can access goods without discrimination is also part of the American dream. The availability of a wide variety of goods gives the customers a choice of many products thus the freedom of choice. The broad customer experience is broadened by the changing fashion and new products available in the market (Ownby 234).
The American dream encourages people to invest in America as it provided many opportunities to succeed. Every American has the freedom to follow his dream to enrich his life. From the discussion it is evident that even immigrants can achieve the American dream with hard work, luck and determination. The three factors are significant element in achieving the American dream and need to be present for success. The American dream also differs depending on the social class. Some dreams may be considered small like working hard in school to secure a good job, while others may be considered big like starting a business empire from 13 dollars.
Works cited
De, George R. T. Business Ethics. Boston$[u.a.]nPrentice Hall, 2010. Print.
Davis, Lisa. “RAW DEAL. (Cover Story).” Business North Carolina 32.3 (2012): 58.
Hellriegel, Don, and John W. Slocum. Organizational Behavior. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western, 2007. Print.
Ownby, Ted. American Dreams in Mississippi: Consumers, Poverty, & Culture, 1830 – 1998. Chapel Hill, NC [u.a.: Univ. of North Carolina Press, 1999. Print.
