Deval Patrick Says The Dream Is In Danger
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American Dreams: Then And Now
The six brothers who would all get their turn in The Jackson 5.
My American Dream Sounds Like The Jackson 5
()"I Want You Back" is the best pop record ever made — a song too good to be true.
Barbecues with the neighbors? Volunteering? Enjoying your garden? Share your American Dream with us.
![[Photo]](http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2012/06/28/78676047_brick.jpg?t=1340911057&s=2)
The Mix: The Sound Of
Your American Dream
Listen Now
Tell us what song sounds like your idea of the American Dream, and we'll add it to this mix.
Rebirth: From Millionaire To Prisoner To Pastor()
July 27, 2012 Vernon Jackson thought his telecommunications invention would bring him wealth and success. But his dealings with a corrupt congressman eventually landed him in prison. He has since emerged from prison, reinvented as a man of faith.
Your American Dreams: Family, Friends And The Freedom To Roam()
July 19, 2012 The concept of the American dream has been a part of our national consciousness for generations, but you'd be hard-pressed to find two people who define it precisely the same way. We asked for your take on the American dream; this is what you told us.
Korean Families Chase Their Dreams In The U.S. ()
July 11, 2012 A public school in Los Angeles has become a magnet for Korean families who want their kids to learn English while escaping the intense rigor of the Korean school system. In the U.S., they move from school district to school district, cherry-picking the best schools as their kids rise through the grades.
'Globals' Generation Focuses On Experience()
July 10, 2012 For a growing number of U.S. college students and young adults, the idea of building an American dream is to think internationally. They are a group that pollster John Zogby is now calling "the first globals."
The Record
My American Dream Sounds Like Rubén Blades()
July 10, 2012 For Robin D.G. Kelley, Blades' 1984 song "Buscando America" echoes his mother's experience of coming to this country, and exposes the painful struggle that is the cost of fulfilling the American dream.
The Record
My American Dream Sounds Like Woody Guthrie And Lila Downs()
July 3, 2012 In her interpretation of his songs we hear the way we all maneuver through more than one culture.
The Record
My American Dream Sounds Like Nina Simone()
July 2, 2012 Salamishah Tillet explains why Simone's pursuit of a life without fear still gives us all — musicians and fans alike — something to learn from.
The Mix
The Mix: The Sound Of Your American Dream()
July 1, 2012 This mix is made up of the songs you shared: from blues and gospel to classic rock and protest music, to punk and hip-hop. Your American Dream sounds hopeful, cynical, urgent and exuberant, often in the same song.
Buried In Debt, Young People Find Dreams Elusive()
June 30, 2012 At 30, Michelle Holshue is already making more than her parents do. But she graduated with $140,000 in student loan debt just as the recession hit. Like many young adults, Holshue is worried she'll never be able to own a home or raise a family.
Great Expectations, And Some Hope Of Meeting Them()
June 28, 2012 Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang has written extensively on Asian immigrants' assimilation into American culture. The American dream, he says, is defined by the ability to imagine a future, and then have hope of fulfilling it.
The Record
Springsteen's American Dream, Beautiful And Bleak()
July 4, 2012 Ann Powers says her infatuation with The Boss grew into adult respect for the strivers in his songs.
Native American Comic Living The 'Indigenous Dream'()
June 21, 2012 Comedian Charlie Hill has been doing standup for more than three decades. Considered a hero in the Native American community, Hill says that he's achieved his dreams — but that the American dream is still out of reach for many Native Americans.
Hollywood Dreams Of Wealth, Youth And Beauty()
June 19, 2012 American movies have been telling stories that idealize hard work, strong character and the rise of the little man for decades. But there's always a catch. NPR's Bob Mondello looks at what Hollywood means when it talks about the American dream.
The Record
How Rock Ballads Brought My Father's American Dream To Life()
June 18, 2012 Hua Hsu listened as his dad moved between America and Taiwan, making mixtapes at every stop.
Nailing The American Dream, With Polish()
June 14, 2012 The idea of an "affordable manicure" was once an oxymoron. That's before Vietnamese immigrants arrived in the U.S. and cornered the market for inexpensive nail-care salons. The industry has offered a path to self-sufficiency for many Vietnamese-Americans in California and around the nation.
Immigration Law Slows A Family's March Forward()
June 14, 2012 The idea that anyone can make it in the U.S. is personified by immigrant success stories. But what if you came to America for a better life, worked hard and made it — but now face an increasingly anti-immigrant environment? One South Carolina family continues to have faith that the next generation will have it better.
The Record
My American Dream Sounds Like Prince()
June 14, 2012 Miles Marshall Lewis draws a line from Prince's concern for his community to the Hip-Hop Nation.
The Record
Tell Us What Your American Dream Sounds Like()
June 13, 2012 If "Jack and Diane" isn't your American dream, what song is?
Grad Who Beat The Odds Asks, Why Not The Others?()
June 6, 2012 Growing up in the South Bronx, Juan Carlos Reyes' dream was to be a doorman in Manhattan. A college degree has helped him achieve much more, but Reyes is convinced his success is an aberration — and that few of his peers will ever achieve the American dream.
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