Topic

There are two interlinked main topics in the TED talk “A tale of two Americas. And the mini-mart where they collided” by Anand Giridharadas.

Taking its departure in the personal story of an immigrant and a white supremacist, the first part of the talk presents the topic of a nation fracturing into two separate Americas: an optimistic part that still believes in a good life and a more pessimistic part that is losing hope. Or as the speaker puts it: “a republic of dreams and a republic of fears.” (ll. 28-29).

For the second group, the concept of the American Dream now seems unrealistic and unreachable. Some of these people are trapped in poverty, which helps explain their feeling of hopelessness. However, poor people may just as well be found in the optimistic part, the speaker explains. An immigrant like Bhuiyan typically comes carrying strong hopes for the future - hopes that may keep up his spirits when facing hardships like poverty and assault. Thus, it is an interesting point that pessimism and poverty do not necessarily go hand in hand, and the same goes for opti...