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Most people come to the United States to realize the so-calledAmerican Dream, but since the country has been hit by a devastatingrecession, an increasing number of people are growing skeptical ofthis ideal. In 1931, author James Adams wrote a book with the working title"The American Dream," which was retitled "The Epic of America."This book is generally believed to have first introduced the notionof the American Dream. People have different interpretations of the American Dream, but itreflects the general belief that hard work pays off and the nextgeneration will have a better life than the previous one. US President Barack Obama described his 2009 inauguration as afulfillment of the American Dream, where "a man whose father lessthan 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurantcan now stand before you to take a most sacred oath." Obama talked about the American Dream in a specific way, andactually every US president and would-be president tried to puttheir own meaning into the phrase. On his campaign trail, Republican presidential candidate MittRomney talked about how his father grew up poor. "Only in America could a man like my dad become governor of a statewhere he once sold paint from the trunk of his car," he said. "Only in America" in some sense is Romney's explanation of theAmerican Dream that hard work and dedication still guaranteesuccess. However, three years after the worst recession in almost a century,more Americans are skeptical of the American Dream. A national survey of college graduates from 2006 to 2011 madepublic in May by the John J. Heldrich Center for WorkforceDevelopment at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, studiedhow college graduates are pursuing the American Dream. Entitled "Chasing the American Dream: Recent College Graduates andthe Great Recession," the survey found just over half of recentcollege graduates in the United States are working full time. Only 40 percent of the respondents reported that their first jobrequired a four-year degree, and 20 percent said their first jobput them firmly on a career path. Also, more than half of the nation's recent college graduates arestruggling to pay off their student loans, and many are borrowingto obtain additional education. Some 60 percent of the graduates owed an average of 20,000 USdollars to pay off the costs of their education, and 40 percent ofthe graduates from 2009 to 2011 have yet to pay off any of theirdebt, the survey found. According to the survey, 20 percent of recent college graduates isenrolled in graduate or professional schools, and over 60 percentof those students have not paid off their student loans of anaverage 30,000 dollars. Only about one-fifth of recent college graduates believe that theirgeneration will be more successful than the one before them, andmore than twice as many think their generation will be lesssuccessful than the one that preceded them, according to thesurvey. "Lower-income whites and lower-income African Americans are moreskeptical about the American Dream. Higher-income blacks are prettyoptimistic about the American Dream, as are higher-income whites,"Associate Director of the Pew Research Center Michael Dimock said. Actually, both Obama and Romney agree the American Dream is out ofreach for too many people today. On the campaign trail, Romney's definition of the American Dreamsounds pretty universal: "If you're willing to take risks and workhard, get an education, have the right values, anyone can make abetter life. We are the land of opportunity." But both parties disagree over how to make sure the American Dreamsurvives, and what to do when it disappears from many places in theUnited States. To become an American is the first step to realize the AmericanDream, but in the past years, the number of Americans who gave uptheir US citizenship has been increasing. About 1,780 Americans gave up their US citizenship at US embassieslast year, up from 235 in 2008, according to statistics from the USgovernment's Federal Register. The issue has been highlighted by Facebook co-founder EduardoSaverin, who announced that he was giving up his US passport inorder to avoid paying millions of taxes to the US government. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Precision Machined Parts Manufacturer , Metal Stamping Parts Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit Custom Injection Molding today!
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