This week I was truly disheartened by one man’s false and misleading report on the subject of the state of the American Dream. Casting his opinions as supported by scientific evidence in an article published by the Council on Foreign Relations, Gregory Clark, an economist and professor at UC Davis, recently and cynically summed up the American Dream – perhaps our country’s greatest attribute – as purely an illusion.
I am sorry to say, Professor Clark, I guess we haven’t been acquainted… perhaps I am an illusion. Allow me to introduce myself. I, Paul Hsu, am living proof of the American Dream. My dream was one that many immigrants could share. I was a young man from Taiwan fostering raw hope of someday owning a factory of my own and building a good life for my family in America. I accomplished this and so much more. I owe this great nation my immense gratitude for providing an environment where I was free to work as hard as I could to turn my dreams into a reality. I was welcomed and encouraged from the first day I arrived in this country and as I walked across the White House lawn to accept the President’s Small Business Award, I realized my accomplishments could not have happened anywhere else in the world.
What other nation provides resources and support to build your own business, extends trust to allow an immigrant to contribute to aeronautical defense or serve as a presidential appointee? I was offered this and more within only 3 decades of setting foot on American soil with no background, education or money to recommend me. I did not possess connections or the benefit of having parents to pave the way to upward mobility. You may call me an “outlier,” but I would suggest I am just someone who took advantage of the opportunities that exist here for everyone.
Your assessment of the American Dream is supported only by crunching numbers of the past 100 years on social mobility. I would argue that not everyone’s American Dream is that simple or the same. Mine may tell the story of a man setting out here with only $500 in my pocket to selling my first company for $70 Million, but my neighbor may have dreamed of practicing their religion free from persecution while building a better life for their family with a stable home and occupation in a safe community. The American Dream is not just about money, power or climbing a social ladder. It is a mindset open to innovation, with less restrictions and most importantly, full of possibility. It is not a handout of fortune and success, but instead embodies a promise that this is a place of hope where those who are willing to work hard can accomplish more for themselves. Does everyone take advantage of the opportunities? Of course not. I can assure you, however, that if we feed the findings of your report to our kids, they certainly will be led to believe there is no point in even trying.
To strike down the concept that America is the home of opportunity, a place where hard work, determination and holding fast to your dreams can pay off is a dishonor to our nation’s history. An argument driven by social mobility trends loses sight of the concept of free will and more specifically minimizes the great number of people who did achieve great things through hard work. It fails to address the advancements our citizens have contributed to global progress. Of course there are many Americans that remain within the same level of social, financial or occupational status as their parents, but this is not evidence of a limitation to the opportunities that were available to them. The simple fact is that it is up to them to take their dreams as far as they hope to go. If they work hard and accomplish what they want in life, respect and acceptance is generously extended to them regardless of where they began. We are a nation that admires those who sacrifice and beat the odds. We root them on and embrace them for their fortitude. This is a uniquely American characteristic.
If you want to know whether America’s core values live on today, ask America’s immigrants. Ask the 1 in 30 people from across the globe who would pick up today and move here if they could. Want to look closer at the numbers? Consider how 40% of all Fortune 500 companies have an immigrant or immigrant’s child as their founder. Immigrants embody the spirit of the American Dream. They are successful because they appreciate the opportunities. Our immigrant roots define the entrepreneurial spirit that sets us apart from other nations.
The American Dream is alive because it is inclusive. Only here can a person from a foreign nation leave their homeland and truly become “American.” When you choose to move to Germany or Japan or Greece you never really become German, Japanese or Greek. Our nation embraces immigrants and invites them to belong. As immigrants weave their own cultures into our diverse fabric, we find unity and generate innovation. Americans are encouraged to contribute something of themselves, make a difference, and leave their mark on this world.
So I urge you to consider that just as you chose to exercise an opportunity to author your own take (however misguided it may be) of the American Dream, you must appreciate and recognize that every American, whether immigrant or native born, is offered the same blank page to author it for themselves. I can speak from experience when I say that living under the Star Spangled Banner not only inspires our pride, it gives us wings to fulfill our dreams.
