This Thanksgiving, American polarization is on full display. Some Americans will celebrate the Trump presidency, while others will be thankful for the blue wave that hit New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.
Democrat or Republican, there is another reason to give thanks: The American Dream.
As an immigrant from Uruguay, I became a U.S. citizen in 2020, and have never regretted that decision five years later. Recently, I have been intrigued by a newly lit beacon of hope and liberty for the world: The recently inaugurated Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD) and its “American Dream Experience.” Part of the Milken Institute, a nonprofit educational and cultural institution, MCAAD is located next to the White House and serves as a constant reminder to our elected officials that preserving the American Dream for generations to come is their first, second, and third priority.
What does that mean? Nearly 100 years ago, James Truslow Adams coined the term “the American Dream” for a land where “life should be better and richer and fuller for every man [or woman], with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.”
Through the American Dream Experience, which I experienced firsthand, citizens and tourists alike can start from anywhere and be “part” of any social group, race, or class. The elaborate exhibitions include stories of civil rights leaders, nonprofit champions, scientists, and so many others, including successful immigrants like Arnold Schwarzenneger, Yvonne Chan, and Gloria Estefan. MCAAD stays true to President Reagan’s maxim that “you can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American.”
Also notable is that MCAAD includes economic and policy research on the American Dream and economic mobility, rather than just wishful thinking or a “vibes check” on the concept – all too common nowadays. The path of upward mobility has been well researched by academics such as Nobel Laureates Gary Becker and James Heckman, in addition to Bates Clark Medalist Raj Chetty, so visitors can understand that the American Dream is emotive and empirical. Still, the exhibits that resonate most are stories of women, men, minorities, immigrants, entrepreneurs – American heroes from all walks of life.
Continue reading at Real Clear Politics.
Gonzalo Schwarz is President and CEO at the Archbridge Institute. Gonzalo focuses on researching and writing about the American Dream, social mobility, the economics of human flourishing, economic development, and entrepreneurship. He is the author of the institute’s "American Dream Snapshot” and editor of two publications focused on social mobility in Europe and Latin America. Gonzalo has an M.A. in economics from George Mason University and a B.A. in economics from the Catholic University of Bolivia. You can follow his Substack, "Living the Dream," where he writes about the American Dream.
Culture of Flourishing
This Thanksgiving, American polarization is on full display. Some Americans will celebrate the Trump presidency, while others will be thankful for the blue wave that hit New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.
Democrat or Republican, there is another reason to give thanks: The American Dream.
As an immigrant from Uruguay, I became a U.S. citizen in 2020, and have never regretted that decision five years later. Recently, I have been intrigued by a newly lit beacon of hope and liberty for the world: The recently inaugurated Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD) and its “American Dream Experience.” Part of the Milken Institute, a nonprofit educational and cultural institution, MCAAD is located next to the White House and serves as a constant reminder to our elected officials that preserving the American Dream for generations to come is their first, second, and third priority.
What does that mean? Nearly 100 years ago, James Truslow Adams coined the term “the American Dream” for a land where “life should be better and richer and fuller for every man [or woman], with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement.”
Through the American Dream Experience, which I experienced firsthand, citizens and tourists alike can start from anywhere and be “part” of any social group, race, or class. The elaborate exhibitions include stories of civil rights leaders, nonprofit champions, scientists, and so many others, including successful immigrants like Arnold Schwarzenneger, Yvonne Chan, and Gloria Estefan. MCAAD stays true to President Reagan’s maxim that “you can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American.”
Also notable is that MCAAD includes economic and policy research on the American Dream and economic mobility, rather than just wishful thinking or a “vibes check” on the concept – all too common nowadays. The path of upward mobility has been well researched by academics such as Nobel Laureates Gary Becker and James Heckman, in addition to Bates Clark Medalist Raj Chetty, so visitors can understand that the American Dream is emotive and empirical. Still, the exhibits that resonate most are stories of women, men, minorities, immigrants, entrepreneurs – American heroes from all walks of life.
Continue reading at Real Clear Politics.
Gonzalo Schwarz
Gonzalo Schwarz is President and CEO at the Archbridge Institute. Gonzalo focuses on researching and writing about the American Dream, social mobility, the economics of human flourishing, economic development, and entrepreneurship. He is the author of the institute’s "American Dream Snapshot” and editor of two publications focused on social mobility in Europe and Latin America. Gonzalo has an M.A. in economics from George Mason University and a B.A. in economics from the Catholic University of Bolivia. You can follow his Substack, "Living the Dream," where he writes about the American Dream.
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