The American Dream is Just a Dream

Ever since I can remember, my parents have worked day in and day out for my siblings and I. They emigrated to El Norte from Mexico in the 1980’s with tales of the American Dream alive and well in their minds. They came with the huge illusion of someday owning a home and providing to my siblings and I the greatest of opportunities.

Once in the U.S., my parents worked extremely hard every day, sometimes 10+ hours a day, sometimes 7 days a week, and sometimes they even worked two jobs at a time. Soon enough, they began to adopt the idea that wealthy people were wealthy because they worked hard for it therefore assuming that’s what had to be done. They worked days, nights, weekends, and holidays always with a great vision in mind. The American Dream! However, little did they know that working hard would not ensure their wealth.    

Fast-forward to 27 years later, my parents still continue to work hard today. Holidays and weekends are still spent working. Sooner than later, the American Dream became just that - a dream. We still don't own a home but with my support and that of my siblings we hope to someday be able to fulfill that dream for my parents. 

According to Race & Racism: A Critical Approach, the typical white family has about ten times the amount of wealth than the typical non-white family. These disparities are due to a couple of very significant reasons. First, wealth is based on your assets minus your debts. In America, owning a home is a very valuable asset used to define wealth. However, in America, owning a home has been extremely difficult for people of color since the beginning of time. Between 1933 and 1978, the U.S. government enabled over 35 million families to increase their wealth through housing equity through government subsidies, policy changes, and tax incentives. This new government housing program, however, was created to benefit white families and the consequences of that are still lived today by many Latino families like mine as well as many African-American families. 

Moreover, findings presented in the book also highlight the impact of housing government programs on families of color as residential segregation was created. I was born and raised in the city of Inglewood, in Los Angeles. Growing up it was hard to ignore the fact that the community I lived in was predominantly Latina, however if I walked down a mile south I would come across cities like Manhattan Beach where everyone is a couple shades lighter and the houses look like mansions. In a recent study conducted in March 2014, Los Angeles was found amongst the top 10 most segregated cities in the entire nation. Could the government housing programs created in the 1930's still have an effect on our nation today? Truth is, it does and it will continue to do so. 

The fact remains - racism is alive and well. Through my personal experienced, we can make a direct correlation with institutional racism as the policies, laws, and institutions introduced in the 1930's have reproduced racial inequalities that persist. Today, the median home equity for whites is $80,000 while for Latinos it's $60,000 and $52,000 for blacks. For many years, my family did not reach that median of $60,000 for Latinos. They worked very hard but every month my parents main concern and priority was the bring food to our table. Obtaining a home has been harder than ever imagined. 

I must admit sometimes it is very difficult to wrap my head around the fact that racism persists today, even though the laws no longer permit it. The laws have been written very broadly and not so much with overtly racist terminology as they once were like with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. However, it is important to understand that racism persists due to the ideologies so strongly embedded in our society. Today, regardless of the fact that laws are not suppose to be targeting one specific group, law enforcement continues to target specific groups typically based on race. Therefore, although laws say one thing, the criminal justice system may exert another. It is then when racism is present - through inequitable outcomes in the implementation of the law.