Every individual’s definition of American and view for the American Dream is different. Many factors contribute to these different views such as – race, age, gender, ethnicity, and social background. The term American can simply mean being an American citizen and having the ability to vote. Depending on your definition of American it can define your view of the American Dream. The American Dream can vary from your typical white picket fence dream to a far more complex idea like providing for your family, receiving an education and achieving goals. Both Vira Douangmany Cage in “Names are Important” and Langston Hughes in “Let America Be America Again” define these terms differently but ultimately believe that the American Dream and
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Vira defines being American as embracing the differences and acknowledging that being different is great and can bring many people together. Cage and Hughes believe that American should be defined as someone who is able to strive in America while not being treated as one who doesn’t deserve to be there at all. Langston Hughes believes that America should be “the land where every man is free”(63) because it was those who “made America the land it has become”(44) that have faced hardships and not given the same opportunities as others. Cage and Hughes believe that the American Dream should be seen as everyone being economically and socially equal despite being an immigrant or a person of a different race and background. Vira Douangmany Cage and Langston Hughes believe that every person in America should have the opportunity to interpret their version of the American Dream or their definition of American in spite of having different views themselves due to their different race, gender, social background and
Vira defines being American as embracing the differences and acknowledging that being different is great and can bring many people together. Cage and Hughes believe that American should be defined as someone who is able to strive in America while not being treated as one who doesn’t deserve to be there at all. Langston Hughes believes that America should be “the land where every man is free”(63) because it was those who “made America the land it has become”(44) that have faced hardships and not given the same opportunities as others. Cage and Hughes believe that the American Dream should be seen as everyone being economically and socially equal despite being an immigrant or a person of a different race and background. Vira Douangmany Cage and Langston Hughes believe that every person in America should have the opportunity to interpret their version of the American Dream or their definition of American in spite of having different views themselves due to their different race, gender, social background and