The meaning of the American dream

¶ … American Dream Means

What Does American Dream Mean for Transgender Persons?

American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated that "American means opportunity, freedom and power." Emerson was a philosopher and a social critic, challenging widely shared assumptions of mainstream America. He did not say that America means "opportunity and freedom," but he added that it also means "power." The reason he mentions it was because power matters a lot in America. Having access to power may help one achieve the American Dream. The most visible symbol of power is, of course, wealth. In America, one can buy pretty much everything.

This complicated nature of the American Dream, the boundless opportunities offered in America but also limits of the American Dream are the issues socially disadvantaged Americans face on a daily basis. Among these socially disadvantaged are transgender persons. Transgender persons can achieve their dreams in America if they have the money and power. In Jennie Livingston's documentary Paris is Burning, the film that explores the lives of transgender persons and their struggles in America, many of the persons interviewed talk about the difficulty of surviving in a "rich, white world." The statement suggests that America is a country of rich, white men and that others are socially disadvantaged. Lacking on of these features means not achieving the American Dream.

Another transgender person featured in the documentary makes the following statement: "America is nice. You can do what you want if you have the money. You can be what you what, certainly" (Levingston, Gibson, and Oppenheim). The key word in this statement is, of course, "if you have the money." With money Michael Jackson can turn into a "white" man. With money, women can have access to opportunities normally granted to men. And with money, transgender persons can buy all their needs and get a surgery to change their biological sex organs. With money, one can buy a place where one can feel safe and comfortable. So, the American Dream is achievable but if only you have the required amount of money for whatever you want to be.