Discrimination within the Dream

Introduction

In theory, the American Dream should be accessible for anyone who lives in the US. However, many groups have faced - and sometimes still face - discrimination in American society, and are therefore prevented form living out the Dream.

When the US was founded, the Dream was only truly available for white, male property owners. The rest of the population – which was also the majority – was not considered when the Dream was envisioned. This included non-property owners, slaves, Native Americans, and women.

Some have argued that, while the US has long presented itself as a multicultural nation of immigrants and a territory of equal opportunity for everyone, this image has rarely matched reality. In fact, race, social status, gender, sexual orientation were inescapable key factors in people’s ability to achieve the American Dream because opportunities were not the same for women, African Americans, other minorities, or poorer people. However, the fact that the Am...