Does America still provide access to the American Dream? “That dream of a land where life should be better, richer and fuller for all, with opportunities for each according to ability or achievement.” -(James Truslow Adams). There are many different perceptions of the American Dream. For many, the American Dream is one of materialistic wealth or the “pursuit of material prosperity” (Adams), owning bigger cars, complex homes along with designer shoes and clothes. But for others, the American dream goes beyond materialistic value. For others, the American dream is to achieve a fulfilling and meaningful life in which they are offered opportunities that they enjoy. The United States Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This is considered the foundation of the American Dream. It seems we live in a land of democracy and not dictatorship, everyone in America is given equal access to the American dream, but the real question is not whether or not America provides access to the American dream because they do. The more debatable question is: Does America make the American Dream attainable for everyone? According to some, America does not make the American dream attainable for everyone. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay There are many ways in which people are prevented from achieving the American Dream. An example of this can be seen in the attempts to eliminate the DACA program. The DACA program is a program in which illegal immigrants can apply for a two-year renewable visa as long as they have graduated from or are in high school, are a military veteran, and have a mostly clean criminal record. President Donald Trump is choosing to get rid of the program. The program was also publicly scrutinized by Mr. Sessions who said “the policy was implemented unilaterally, with great controversy and legal concerns.” Eliminating this program will impact the lives of at least 800,000 people. While they won't be immediately affected by the program's exhaustion, they have little time to prepare for deportation since they are not true American citizens. Not only would they be separated from everything they have ever known, but they will be forced to return to a country that is no longer familiar to them. The infamous wall is another obstacle to achieving the American dream. In addition to eliminating the DACA program, the government, especially President Trump, plans to build a wall between America and Mexico in an effort to minimize illegal immigration. The barrier between America and Mexico has already begun to be built, but there are many people who oppose the project. In “THE WALL: The Real Costs of a Barrier Between the United States and Mexico,” an article by Vanda Felbab-Brown, it is stated that “undocumented workers and drugs will still overcome any barrier the administration will end up building." Brown also said people are more likely to become an illegal immigrant by overstaying their visa than by crossing the border. It gives many more reasons why building the wall is useless. Race is another factor that would impede the ability to achieve the American dream. Many examples can be seen in the American economy. There are unequal job opportunities, graduation rates, and success rates across races. In today's society, the unemployment rate of the African American community is twice as high as that of Caucasian citizens. Even if in January150,000 jobs were added, the 2:1 ratio between white and black unemployment still remains. The lack of jobs dispersed among the African American group can also influence the number of graduates. This would ultimately result in a larger group of people who are not interested in going to college just to avoid going into debt for the rest of their lives. This means that an African American citizen will have a difficult time trying to pay for college. As might be expected, graduation rates are equally unfair. In an article titled “Graduation Rates and Race” by Emily Tate, it was said: “College completion rates vary widely along racial and ethnic lines, with black and Hispanic students obtaining credentials at a much lower rate than white and Asian students. ”. In a recent study, it shows that African Americans had a graduation rate of only 38% and Latinos had 45.8% compared to white students whose overall graduation rate was an astonishing 62% at the college level. Another article titled “College Degree Gap Widens Among Whites, Blacks, and Latinos,” by Meredith Kolodner, tells us that by 2020, about 65% of jobs are expected to require an education beyond the of high school. This puts the Latino and Black community at even greater risk because not only are unemployment rates high, but graduation rates are also low, making it even harder for them to get a job and work towards the dream American. Other examples can be seen within the white supremacy and police brutality movements. Latino and African American communities are repressed and unfairly punished by the white “superior.” “Police officers are charged in less than 1% of homicides, but the indictment rate for civilians involved in a homicide is 90%.” (FiveThirtyEight) Young black men between the ages of 15 and 34 are more likely to be part of that 90% as they are nine times more likely than other Americans to be killed by law enforcement. With society against them, there is only a slim chance that an African American or any citizen of color will achieve the American dream. While the American dream has not been completely taken away from them as it is with immigrants, the dream is even less attainable and seemingly impossible to acquire. While there are many who believe the American dream is unachievable, some enthusiasts may believe otherwise. There are many people who believe that the American dream is equally achievable for everyone. The opposing team's arguments include that the American dream is meant for Americans, meaning that getting rid of immigrants is no big deal. President Trump, in an article titled “Trump Moves to End DACA and Calls on Congress to Act,” by Michael D. Shear and Juli H. Davis, stated that “before asking what is right for illegal immigrants, we must also ask ourselves what is right for American families, students, taxpayers and job seekers." What makes American citizens better and more deserving than others? It has already been proven that job opportunities were unfair without even factoring in the immigrant population. While immigrants may be here illegally, they still cannot interfere with Americans' chances of finding work. “Most natives do not face significant job competition from immigrants; however, those who do tend to be less educated and poorer than those who face relatively little competition.