About the whole money is everything, I think part of it could be upbringing but that depends on who it is. I think largely that it does have to do with Society because society puts a price on everything now!!

Another thing on the American Dream I ran across the other day while reading was a teacher describe the American Dream for students as "Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness," does anyone believe that? I would like to here comments on this!

I agree with you! i think that the "american Dream" can be so different depending on the person. I bet that even in our class we could go around the room and find at least 5 diferent people with a different dream. I think that that is what makes america what it is today becuase without all the different dreams of people we would not have all the great things that we have!

I agree with everyone else on how the American dream is different for everyone and I really like how Rebekah S. states that her American dreams have changed over the decades. I was thinking about it a realized that as I was entering college, my dream was to be in a sorority, make up for lost time being unpopular growing up, do well, graduate and make money, find a marry a rich man and have lots of money. Again the money issue. Even with my family I realize we used to take so many nice vacation to exotic places as well as bought and did things that I could care less about now.

After meeting a really good friend in school about three years ago, that came from a different background than me. I realize my dream has changed. I want to do my best in college, graduate, make a difference in the lives of children, have my own family. I dont care about going on cruises anymore, Im happy just parking a car in the woods and going camping for the weekend.

I really liked this thread and enjoyed reading others posts.

to answer haley's question:

"Another thing on the American Dream I ran across the other day while reading was a teacher describe the American Dream for students as "Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness," does anyone believe that? I would like to here comments on this!"

i definitely see the humor in that statement and it sounds so old fashioned to me hearing it again...so cliche...
i'm not sure about how i feel about that statement though. hearing it i immediately think, "no, that is the past and not really prevelant to today anymore," but thinking about it further perhaps there is still something to that. as i said before, i think most people search for happiness in their lives, it just differs as to what makes them happy (or what they think will make them happy). so perhaps people do dream of "the pursuit of happiness" still...

I see where you are coming from with the pursuit of Happiness!! I was wondering especially after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter do we ALL really have liberty,especially in education today???? I believe you were right that our American dream is whatever makes us happy but do we all get to live our lives the way we want to in that Dream with Liberty and Justice?? Anyone have an opinion??

After reading the statistics of blacks and latinos in jail I am not so sure that we do! I mean I have read a lot of articles of late that deal with racism in the school setting and I tend to agree with some of them that not everyone gets an equal education. I don't think that is fair!! I believe that everyone should receive the benefit of a doubt and the teachers should make the effort to find a way to teach each level what they really need to know or what everyone else is learning no matter the level they are at... am I making any sense of this at all???