American dreamers

When my great-great-grandfather Dominic Reach walked out of the Ellis Island Immigration Station with all his earthly possessions on his back and a brand new last name, he must have doubted the future that lay before him under Lady Liberty’s shadow. Far from the Old World and its familiar sights and smells, he came to a young nation which had just begun to flex its growing industrial strength. Eventually my ancestor became a day-laborer in a rock quarry, where apparently he earned the wages of two men, since he was capable of doing twice the work of the average man. Unfortunately, not much else remains to chronicle what type of life Dominic found for himself in the New World.

I am deeply humbled every time I consider the courage it must have taken for my ancestor to leave his home for an unknown land thousands of miles away. It is almost unimaginable to think that millions of Americans shared his courage, pulled across the ocean by the hope of a brighter future. We have come to call this hope the American Dream. Though the definition of the American Dream has varied somewhat over the years, hope for a better life has always remained at the core of its meaning.

The dream is uniquely American due to the political and economic space around which our government was built. Its most enduring defense is that penned by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence: that all men are created equal, and entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those few words distill the essence of the environment which has allowed dreamers to come and find refuge on American soil. The pursuit of happiness through private property has allowed generations of American men and women to accrue the fruits of their labor and pass on their accomplishments and stories to their children. Liberty allowed them to make their own choices, appropriating their own time and resources to pursuits they deemed worthy. And political equality ensured that no American could unjustly use the apparatus of government to oppress his fellow man.

Fulfilling the American Dream clearly isn’t about perfection—it’s about improving ourselves and moving forward. Our history reflects our mistakes as a nation, one riddled with moral contradictions and injustices like racism, intolerance and sexism. But through strength of will, vision and the leadership of men and women willing and able to tackle the impossible, we continue to make the American Dream accessible to all.

Most of all, the American Dream is about having a fighting chance for a better life. The opportunity to better oneself has proven a siren song for people the world over, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Our constitution has preserved the political and economic freedom that gives everyone this chance. We must zealously guard our liberty and do our best to protect it.

As a nation, we are currently facing some very tough challenges: crushing government debt, a sour economy and an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment, just to name a few. For the first time in history, Americans believe that the next generation will have a worse life than their own. Times are tough, injustice abounds and the future may look dimmer, but the resilient spirit that freedom breeds will endure. The challenges are great, yes; but so also is the American ability to dream and overcome. Our ancestors have dealt with far greater challenges and prevailed. As long as we protect the freedoms from which opportunity springs, the American Dream will endure.

William Reach is a Trinity junior. This is his final column of the semester.