Did the American Dream ever exist?

Illustration by Sami Seyedhosseini, Photo Editor.

Every few years, the question “Does the American Dream still exist?” tends to resurface. 

Recently, America had its 250th birthday, and the fate of the American Dream was up for debate. It leaves me to wonder — did the American Dream ever exist in the first place? For years, the American Dream has morphed into different ideas, which is why we keep asking these questions.

The original concept of the American Dream in 1931 came from a historian named James Truslow Adams who defined it in his book “The Epic of America” as “not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” 

During the Great Depression, the possibility of achieving the American Dream was put under a microscope. As America recovered from a recession, the idea of achieving the American Dream was on the rise — you can accomplish anything if you work hard for it. 

After World War II, the idea shifted. The American Dream became a more materialistic concept and people began associating the American Dream with the white-picket fence, two kids and a stable income. Citizens were confident in the government's ability to provide and protect individuals’ constitutional rights.

Here’s the tricky part about the American Dream:there is the darker-painted side of the white-picket fence, the side of the fence that is not so polished and stable. Not everyone was able to get a job or have an opportunity, no matter how much we say they did. People discriminated against race, education, disability and gender. When everyone looks at the pretty home behind the white-picket fence, they don’t assume that the home isn’t a happy one. Why would they? If it looked so pretty from the front yard, then why would they be concerned? And since it was the ideal expectation, no one questioned anything.

As I continue to write this piece and look for statistical evidence to support my arguments that there was an American Dream to begin with, I realize that's not entirely the case. Were there high percentages of people who felt they could achieve the dream? Including immigrants and people of color? Yes. However, I noticed something that I think we all do but don’t really talk about. The advertisements tell us something — the typical American family was pictured as white, upper-class. There were already gaps in the system and over the years, the white-picket fence lost its strength. 

From a broader perspective, the American Dream was definitely much easier and attainable in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Prices were low, people bought homes and had jobs, kids were able to go to college and start their own family as soon as they were ready and people immigrated from all over the world to live in America. 

Jump to the year 2026. People have dealt with more stress than ever before, with capitalism entering its latter stage, high social mobility gaining more friction, the media’s influence on political views and people graduating college with large amounts of debt. Over the decades, the building blocks became more complex and harder to obtain. It's become suffocating for many Americans. 

According to Forbes, Gen Z has been dealing with tremendous amounts of stress compared to the years before. Many feel uncertain and anxious about what's to come, as the possibility of owning a home seems impossible and finding a stable job out of college is extremely competitive. A survey on Gallup states that almost half of Americans say that the American Dream is out of reach. As mentioned before, much of it comes from uncertainty. I think most of the uncertainty stems from having a hard time placing a definition on the American Dream. Does it mean freedom of speech? Freedom to grow and prosper? Does it mean to be able to buy a house? And the opportunity to have it all seems to be closing in. 

I still think America is able to provide us with opportunities that other countries around the world can’t. However, the friction of achieving that fabled dream has left people in unpredictable situations. The whole point of the American Dream was to give equal opportunity to anyone who worked for it, easing the tension many people face in life. Now, high percentages of American citizens work 24/7, 12 months out of the year and still barely keep their heads above water. I don’t think this is the American Dream we originally set it out to be. 

Reflecting on the case studies mentioned earlier, half of the people in America state that they feel hopeful they can accomplish good things in their lifetime. I think the new generation will have the ability to push through and redefine what it means to be an American. We do have an opportunity here, and I think it starts with assessing the original question: What exactly is the American Dream? As we understand what it means in 2026, we can begin working on clearing the air for many uncertain Americans.