Elder #1: Holly Murray
Relation: Mother
Location: North Carolina
Age: 38
Q: How have you accomplished your American Dream?
A: Well, when I moved to Wilmington, I decided to go to school. I wanted to be a nurse, but nursing school would’ve taken too long, and I wanted to get a job fast so I could support us. So, instead of being a nurse, I decided to be a paralegal because that would allow me to get a job fast and then I could support us. However, I got laid off three times as a paralegal, and I eventually decided to get an MIS degree. I wanted to get a degree in MIS because at the time it was a good job that would pay well and it would be more secure than my last three jobs. Unfortunately, when I graduated, MIS wasn’t as good of a job as it previously was, and jobs were scarce so I decided to get another paralegal job.
Q: So would you say that your American Dream is to support your family?
A: Yes.
Elder #2: Paul Murray
Relation: Grandfather
Location: West Virginia
Age: 68
Q: How have you accomplished your American Dream?
A: Well, there are three main things that I used to accomplish my American Dream. The opportunities I have had, the chances I have had, and the education I have had have all led me to accomplish my American Dream. After college, I got the opportunity to work in Saudi Arabia and that was how I became very successful. After that, I got the chance to come back to America and build bridges for the army, and that was the second time I was successful. So, the three things that led me to accomplish my American Dream were chance, opportunity, and education.
Elder #3: William Johnson
Relation: Friend
Location: Arizona
Age: 34
Q: How have you accomplished your American Dream?
A: Well, the most important thing to me is education. After I got out of high school I married my high school sweetheart, and it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it caused some major problems. I found myself in situations where I had to support us and it was too much of a struggle for me, so I decided to go to college. I got a degree in Electrical Engineering. That degree paved the road for me to be successful, and I have been able to support myself, my wife, and now my two children. So, I would say that…my American Dream was made possible by education.
Q: How much do you make as an Electrical Engineer?
A: I make enough.
Reflection:
After reviewing my interviews, I noticed that although my elders came from all across the country, they all mentioned that education was the key to their success. This leads me to believe that although the American Dream may seem to be a 'touchy' topic as it may be seen as "materialistic", all of my elders chose a more humble approach as they mentioned the successes they have achieved, rather than the successes they haven't achieved. In conclusion, my elders were very honest in their answers and they chose a less materialistic approach to answering the question than others.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
American Dream - Elders
Posted by Joe Murray at 12:54 PM
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2 comments:
Good job Joe
I would like to see your social dialogue with group mates.
Also, based on our class discussion re: expanding dialogueing with our interviewees - in what way could you re-interview your people?
Ms. Mic
Joey,
As I read your interviews, I found it fascinating how every single elder you interviewed in your community mentioned education as a vital component of the American Dream. Similarly, the elders I interviewed also stated education as a component, however, they also based the American Dream on material worth rather than cultural and moral liberation. As I compared my interview and your interview, I also noticed that most of our elders in the community based their American Dream on monetary value, when in reality, we know that the American Dream encompasses so much more. What are your thoughts on this and why do you believe our elders have this perspective on the American Dream?
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