What exactly is meant by "The American Dream" ?

To many people is applies to material wealth.
I personally believe it means to opportunity to better yourself no matter who you are .

According to my mom, it means that no matter matter who you are or where you start out, if you’re willing to work hard and honest, you can achieve pretty much anything you desire. Her favorite saying has always been cheaters ever win and winners never cheat. She always told me that if I had to cheat to win that I was only cheating myself.

I always thought the American Dream was a dream of the 50’s generation where they could buy their own home with a white picket fence and have their 2–½ children and then live happily ever after

To my ears it’s (the opportunity to go from) “paper boy to millionaire”.

Come to America with $5 in your pocket, and become a millionaire.

To me its like @SEKA, the home, the cars, the stability of being comfortable.

I think of it as being prosperous. Starting out in the mailroom and ending up as the CEO or bank president. Having a car in the driveway and a house with a picket fence, and 2 children.

It’s a Hollywood actor becoming president.
It’s about a kid raised in podunk poverty by a sheriff in Sunray, Texas becoming a high level manager at Boeing.

Social mobility for anyone who works for it.

Today, yes @RedDeerGuy1. But not for non white, non male Americans in the 40s, 50s, 60s and barely into the 70s.

Hell yeah @SEKA nailed it. You basically get the fruits, of your labor. Economic, and familial stability, if you put in the effort…

@Dutchess Maybe thats why its so difficult for some to fully comprehend, myself included. As a 70’s child, in Missouri, I only saw a normal mix of all classes of races. Black business owners, Chinese, Korean, etc..I never just saw all white only prosperity. Its hard to imagine such pervasive racism.

Freedom, and the right to pursue your own idea of happiness.

A split level house in the suburbs on a quarter acre of land, with a white picket fence, husband, wife, 2.5 kids and a pet dog. For an example, see Fun with Dick and Jane (the children’s book, not the movie)..

A home you own, family, steady income, and if so inclined, a business of your own.

It blows my mind that there was such horrible racial inequalities in my lifetime! In my life time! I was a sheltered, oblivious white girl who had no clue.
I do remember when pink crayons were labled “skin color,” and I never thought twice about it.
We used to go “Eeny meeney miny mo. Catch a nigger by his toe….” I remember the day one of my friends informed we couldn’t say that any more. We had to say “monkey,” instead.
Oh so insidious.

@Dutchess I got corrected once for the slang for juryrigged. I was shocked and dismayed.

I got slammed for using the word “squaw.” I grew up reading the word in print. To me it just meant an older, married Native American woman with kids. Like the difference between “Miss” and “Mrs.”
Apparently it’s a slur. :(

Also, I think it’s “Jerry rigged” and it came out of WWII.

I researched. I stand corrected @KNOWITALL. “Jury rigged” is a nautical term dating to the 1600. It’s not even faintly a slur of any kind. Why did they clock you?

@Dutchess_lll: She’s talking about “nigger rigged.”

I have heard “nigger rigged” too. However I looked it up. It is Jury Rigged. I’ll go find it and see if I can post it.