To the dream that left us behind

The reality of the American Dream

Photo by Ian Sands

Arshita Sunnam, Opinions Editor

Dear Dreamers, 

The American Dream is the idea that every opportunity you could ever imagine is in America, and all you have to do is just reach for it. All you want is at your fingertips if you work hard and wish for it. Millions of people come to this country every year, chasing opportunities that do not exist in their own country. But is that really what living in America is like? 

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, and for tipped employees like waiters, it is $2.13 per hour. The law requires employers to pay the difference if the hourly wage plus tips does not equal $7.25, but that is hardly sufficient. Minimum wage has remained unchanged since July 24, 2009, yet the cost of living has increased 51% from then to 2025. At that rate, simply to keep pace with the inflation, the current minimum wage should be $24.00 per hour.

Livable wage is a different matter entirely. In states like Massachusetts, it is only around $20 an hour. However, in more expensive cities like New York City, the livable wage is $42 per hour. Across most U.S. states, the annual amount needed for one adult without kids to live comfortably – meaning stable housing, consistent food, good healthcare, and money left over for investments or savings – is over $100,000 a year. The average family of four requires around $250,000

However, with a minimum wage, the yearly income is $15,000. That is hardly enough to make ends meet – people need to pay for their rent, utility bills, health and car insurance (if they can even afford that), student loan debts, grocery expenses, and so many other things that constantly pile up and keep getting more expensive. The reality is that millions of people across the country are stuck in these situations, struggling and unable to get over the poverty line because they have no other option but to work their minimum wage job. 

It isn’t as simple as just going out and getting a high-paying job. Unemployment has skyrocketed at an unprecedented rate over the past couple of years. There has been a significant slowdown in the job market. Economic instability increases more and more every day, and new policies are constantly being implemented that negatively impact thousands of people. Even those who are well educated are struggling to enter the workforce and find a job that pays well because entry-level jobs suddenly require experience. The requirements for basic employment are extravagant and ask far too much of college graduates.  Employers seek skilled workers without giving them the opportunity to gain those skills. By the time prospective employees gain the necessary traits, they've fallen into debt. The standards rise higher and higher, making them close to impossible to meet. How can anyone sustain themselves without a stable job?

Healthcare, though, must be fine, right? There can’t possibly be anything wrong with something so universal and necessary. Surely it has been made accessible and affordable for people now? Wrong. A single ambulance ride costs anywhere from $500 to $3,500 without insurance. A life-saving helicopter ride costs between $20,000 $80,000 without insurance. But most people have insurance, right? Wrong again; 8% of Americans – 27 million people – don’t have insurance.

These people are the working class – the minimum wage workers who are the backbone of our country. These people cannot afford to take a day off from work because they will lose such a substantial amount of their income. They are the ones who ignore life-threatening emergencies because they cannot afford the hospital and cannot afford not to work. 

Imagine this situation for any other profession. Imagine if doctors, the people who literally hold our lives in their hands, were not able to get the care they needed when they fell ill. It is not okay for people to have no choice but to come to work. Janitors, maids, and nannies all have the same importance to our society as any doctor, lawyer, or engineer. They cannot do their jobs in a system that does not afford them rest and care. They need to breathe. They need to be able to live the dream they seek so desperately. 

These systems are the same ones that leave people in debilitating debt that stays with them for the rest of their lives. One in four adults under the age of 40 has student debt, and the overall number of Americans with student debt amounts to 42.7 million. That’s just from student loans – the numbers for medical debt are exponentially higher; 38% of Americans with insurance reported being worried about medical debt due to the cost of their care. Isn’t the whole point of insurance to avoid exorbitant amounts of debt?

It’s not just this generation that's affected. Birth rates are plummeting at an unprecedented rate because people can no longer afford to have a child. If the working class can hardly afford to sustain themselves, how will they be able to bring a child into the world? It costs around $30,000 to raise a child in 2025. Two years ago, it cost around $22,000. That is a 35.7% increase over the course of two years. Imagine how much it will increase within the next decade. 

It is a common thing to say that our future lies with the new generation, but what will happen to our future if there is no new generation? If there are not enough people to sustain this country? The simple answer is that it will crumble to dust, and there will be nothing left. We absolutely cannot let that happen. It is so incredibly wrong to just sit there and watch a nation like America fall so far from grace. We must do something and implement a major change to save the future of this country. 

The irony of the American Dream is though it was originally dubbed a dream, it felt easily attainable – until it did not. Now, it is its namesake. It is a wistful dream that blows in the wind like a flag on a sunny day.If such a large portion of people struggle to carry out their own basic needs, our country will not be able to sustain itself for much longer. The American Dream must become a reality once again. 

Sincerely, 

Arshita