American Ideals and Values

By: Gabriel Rise
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:25:20
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Freedom

At the center of all that Americans value is freedom. Americans commonly regard their society as the freest and best in the world, they think of their country as a welcoming haven for those longing for freedom and opportunity. This view provides continuity to American’s perception of their history as being that a nation populated by immigrants who made their free choice in coming to the New World for a better life.

American’s understanding of freedom is that all people are equal and that the role of government is to protect each person’s basic rights. Yet this ideal has not always corresponded to reality. Reality demonstrates that some social groups and individuals are not as others. Because of religious, racial, sex, or age discrimination some Americans have not enjoyed the same rights and opportunities as others.

Progress

Directly associated with the value of freedom is the ideal of progress. The desire to progress by making use of opportunities is important to Americans. In this immigrant society, progress is personally measured as family progress over generations. Many Americans can boast that with each succeeding generation the family’s status has improved. The classic American family saga is all about progress. The great-grandparents, arriving from the Old World with nothing, suffer poverty and work hard so that they can provide a good education for their children.

The second generation, motivated by the same vision of the future and willingness to work hard and make sacrifices, pass these values to their children.

American Dream

The term American Dream is used in different contexts from political speeches to Broadway musicals. J.T. Adams expressed “the dream of a land in which life should be better, richer, and fuller foe every man with opportunities for each according to his abilities and achievement”. The American dream is popularizes in countless rags-to-riches stories and in the pictures of good life in advertising and on TV shows. It teaches American to believe that contentment can be reached through hard work, family loyalty, and faith in the free enterprise system.

However, throughout America’s history, reality has also taught her citizens, particularly minorities, that the American Dream is not open to all. Segregation and discrimination are effective tools which have barred minorities from equal opportunities in all spheres.

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