The term "American Dream" was
coined by James Truslow Adams in his 1931 book The Epic of America. He defined
it as "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement... It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a
dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain
to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by
others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth
or position."
Eight decades later, people from all walks of life—and even from distant places in the globe, continue finding that America
is, indeed, the land of opportunity.
When the White House asked Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to tell their stories in a nationwide video challenge, state Rep. Cindy Ryu, a
Korean-American, decided to share her journey in pursuit of the American Dream.
The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders recently announced that Ryu’s “Reaching for the American Dream” video has been selected as one of only 20 semi-finalists in the national “What’s your story?” challenge, which gathered hundreds of videos
from across the United States.
Ryu said that her experiences in Shoreline and the 32nd Legislative
District show that America is still the land of opportunity, “I think it is important for people, especially young people, to appreciate the blessings we enjoy as Americans, because we must all work together to preserve the American
Dream for future generations.”
A group of judges will review the top 20 videos and select 10 that will appear on the White House website. The public will then be invited to vote for their favorite videos, and the top winners will be invited to share their
stories in person at the White House.
