Ryan Nazari Period 0 The Quotable American Dream "I love entrepreneurship because that’s what makes this country grow, and if I can help companies grow, I am creating jobs; I am setting foundations for future generations. It sends the message that the American Dream is alive and well." -Mark Cuban Mark Cuban is the epitome of the American dream. He wasn’t born rich, he made his money by selling his ideas for profit and starting businesses. As a member of the Shark Tank, he is able to see people attempting to do what he had done on a regular basis. By helping businesses get off the ground and take them to new heights, Mark watches people grow into wildly successful business people, just like himself. If people are still able to make it big like Mark did, then the American dream is still alive. The reason this specific quote caught my attention is because of our society’s perception of the Elite. Many times, the average person will look at people who would be more successful than them and assume them to come from a certain background and to act a certain way when that isn’t the case. Most of the time, the most successful in our society came from nothing, just like Mark Cuban. "To think that a once scrawny boy from Austria could grow up to become governor of the state of California and then stand here... then stand here in Madison Square Garden and speak on behalf of the president of the United States - that is an immigrant's dream. It is the American dream." -Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Schwarzenegger achieved the dream himself. He was born into a regular life in Austria, but when he came to America, he was able to shine. He went from a multi-award winning Bodybuilder, to an iconic actor, and later the Governor of California. To be able to come from nothing into one of the most successful people of the world is indicative of the American dream. What spoke to me about this quote is that it made me realize that anybody can be successful in America. All you need is a will, for when there is a will, there is a way. “The American dream is not that every man must be level with every other man. The American dream is that every man must be free to become whatever God intends he should become.” -Ronald Reagan The American dream is a lot of things, but the most common perception is that anybody can become successful in this country, which is why I keep going back to this point. Reagan was born in a town with a population of 687. He wasn’t born rich and he wasn’t born known. He moved to California and became an actor. After establishing himself, he used his notoriety to advocate for his beliefs, leading him to win the California Governorship by a landslide. After leaving the position in 1975, he later went on to become the President of the United States of America and was one of the best presidents in our nation’s history. Reagan’s path to success was odd, and that’s what the quote says. Reagan says that the dream is for everybody to be able to do what he did, follow their dreams and see where they lead them. Reagan’s personal connection to the quote is what made it stand out to me. To become as famous as he did through such an unorthodox path is what the American dream is, to be successful through your own volition.
