Where are you in the 'American Dream'

[7 Iron]

My great grandfather was born in Sioux City, Iowa. He moved to Oklahoma City and took work as a shoe maker for the rest of his life. He didn't have the money to send anyof his children to college.

My grandfather worked the oil fields inWestern Oklahoma and went to night classes at OU. He graduated from OU at age 35. He had 8 kids that he sent to private school and all 8 were accepted to he University of Texas, though he didn't pay for it.

My father graduated Texas and went to med school. He sent all 8 of his kids to college and paid for all of them. He paid for my law degree as well.

What is the American Dream? Is this it? Children standing on the shoulders of their parents to give their kids more than they had?

I would consider myself a product of that dream. I think there are plenty of people who are in one of those stages and unable to "break through" - maybe their children willl.

Where are you?

 

[GHoward]

I find it interesting that you only mentioned male members. My mom makes more than my dad, and she was that one that had foresight to save money for me to pay for college. Is it safe to assume your mother and G-mother were "stay at home" moms?

 

[TX-EX_98]

I think I agree with the OP, except that in American, you can "jump" forward with one generation. Take me for example:

Great-Grandfather = Rancher with no formal education;

Grandfather = Rancher with 6th grade education;

Father = Electrical Lineman with GED;

Me = Graduate from TX, law degree.

What happened was that because of their hard work, I got the benefit of oppurtunity of one big "bump" in education and potential lifestyle.

In my mind, the American Dream can be an several combinations from your situation to a big "bump" up situation.

Another current issue, and not hijack, but I was only able to do what I did because tuition was affordable (regulated), so I worked my way through college and post-graduation and was able to pay with minimal student loans. That opportunity is now lost to the current generation as the tuition/fees are unaffordable and kids that are now in the situation as was back then, cannot just "work hard" and pay their own way. Really makes me concerned about the potential for future big "bumps". Doors are closing....

Good post and sorry for the rant.

 

[HornCyclist]

I like this topic. Much of my life is still unwritten, and I'm in a bit of career doldrums right now. But that's mainly because the sacrifices of my parents and grandparents have given me so much opportunity and choice of what I want from life.

Paternal Family

Grandfather -- grew up in the great depression, only "graduated" from the eighth grade, joined the Army and served post WWII. He worked as a mechanic for about half of his adult life, but had to switch careers to car salesman because of a back injury.

Grandmother -- Worked hard as a wife and mother, and also worked various jobs to make ends meet.

Father -- Graduated high school, and worked as a car salesman after a couple years of odd jobs. He switched from car salesman to go to work with UPS, good union job, but physically hard on him. The hard work provided our family with consistent income and good health and dental insurance and gave my mother a chance to become the first in her family to graduate from college. I received a scholarship from UPS, which paid for most of my UT tuition.

Maternal Family

Grandfather -- No college, worked most his life in the oil fields in various positions. He was forced to move a lot to wherever the work was to provide for his family.

Grandmother -- No College and worked as dedicated wife and mother all her life.

Mother -- Became the first in her family to graduate from college thanks to the stability my father's work provided and help from my grandmother in taking care of my brother and me.

Me -- Graduated from UT with the help of a scholarship and will be starting law school or a graduate program in fall of 2010 -- Insh'allah.

I wish I knew more about the lives of my great-grandparents. I know both sides of my family struggled through the great depression and that their children, my grandparents, were provided with more opportunity than they had.

I also share the worry that opportunities are closing. If my dad wasn't able to get the job with UPS, my mother never goes to college, and I'm not sure I end up at UT. Jobs like his are disappearing right now.

 

[CanaTigers]

I wish I still had what my grandparents built. Both went to High School but not college. Built a nice size ranch and were well off. Between all the kids fighting over land and assets not much left.

 

[parkerco]

The American dream (at least to me) is for your kids to do better than you. 7 Iron's grandfather is the perfect example- he got an OU degree, all his kids went to Texas. That is the embodiment of the dream, right there, always upward.

 

[kmac30]

great topic! i took a class at Texas that was focused on the American Dream (Architecture, w/ Steve Ross). one of the best classes (and professors) i ever had at UT. we looked at all sorts of things and our final project was for us to display our idea of the "American Dream" just before the semester ended, like a gallery showing.

During the class we basically sat around and talked about current events. Some people are so near sighted when it comes to life. They don't realize the sacrifices their ancestors made to put them where they are now.

I didn't have any living grandfathers around when I was a kid. As I grew older, I had a fascination with old men's hands. Men that were born at the turn of the century, who worked in fields and on railroads (my grandfather was a railroad worker). They're hands are big, strong and rough. My dad is a pharmacist. His hands aren't the same. I'm work online, sitting at my computer all day. My hands are nothing like the men of my grandfathers time.

My "American Dream" - I don't care about material things and success is only in the eye of the beholder.. blah blah blah. I want to be known as a good person. I want to have kids and pass on our (my wife and i's) good values. I want to see my kids grow up to be great people in their lives (community, home, work, etc). I hope that my parents look at where I am in my life and see what I hope to see in my kids. I'm almost 31. Currently we have no children (probably in the next year).

 

[Hornin Hong Kong]

This is interesting

Fathers side:

grandfather was born in china - emmigrated, ran a laundry

father - born in USA, joined the Navy, no college, ended up a minor exec at rockwell

me - college, navy, mba, now living back in china

Moms:

great grandfather - coal miner

Grandfather - worked for GM all his life

Mother - married dad no college

me.

USA was great to my family, still is, and I'm giving back.