The American Dream Is A Nightmare And I Want Out

Sasha Monroe
#BOLD
Published in
5 min readOct 5, 2020

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Photo via Lex Photography on Pexels

Throughout history, people have been told that America was the land of opportunity. With portrayals in film, television shows, and books; people are sold on the country’s idea of achieving success with hard work, tenacity, sacrifice and risk-taking. We’ve all heard sayings along the lines of, “As long as you keep working, you can move up in life” or “Go to college and you can get any job you want.” However, as I move into my early 30s of age, this idea of America being the greatest country in the world, seems more like a farce day after day. Case in point: there is no such thing as the “American dream,” but rather a nightmare that I can’t wait to wake up from.

Let’s take the education system for example. Earning a degree does not always guarantee more money. I’m sure it was like that back in the ’70s for the baby boomers, but for millennials and zoomers, that’s simply not true. The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2009, and the government has yet to increase it to a more livable wage. I graduated from undergrad back in 2010 and still haven’t landed a job in my preferred field. Every job I’ve secured has been out of the necessity to live, rather than “I think this job could help me advance in my career.” Have I thought about going back to school for a Master’s degree? Of course, but then there’s the daunting factor of paying student loans until my last breath. Meanwhile, there are a few countries in Europe that offer free college education. America’s education system is barely touching the surface of this “dream.”

If America truly enforced its ideals of equal opportunity, everyone would have access to this basic necessity: housing. Have you ever wondered which cities have the highest homeless population? Los Angeles and New York are in the top five of the highest homelessness rates in the world. Granted, those are two of America’s most popular cities, not only for lifestyle but career and travel as well. However, the cost of living and homeownership in these cities are astronomical. People can’t afford the housing rates, and most Americans are just one paycheck away from eviction. Living paycheck to paycheck is evident, but greed from landlords, property management companies and banks is even more blatant. Housing rates continue to increase while job wages remain the same. How can people truly thrive here if the country makes it so hard?

Then there’s the healthcare system, another basic necessity. As an American, your healthcare is tied to your employer. Therefore, if a company goes through layoffs, the former staff will no longer have access to healthcare. Well, they can access it, but it’s going to come at major out-of-pocket costs. Also keep in mind, that healthcare is still costly for insured recipients who still rack up fees for visits, co-pays, and medication. Meanwhile, other countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom offer universal healthcare to all citizens. Are we awake from the dream yet?

Healthcare has also been rocked in 2020 due to COVID-19, the fatal virus that has been running rampant globally. America leads the way with the highest number of cases and a record 200,000+ deaths and counting every day. The government administration didn’t take the virus seriously since the beginning with ways of combatting it, and now the country is the laughing stock of the world.

In addition to battling the deadly virus, Black Americans are faced with another pandemic — racism. We’re constantly getting shot and beaten by police officers without any real justice for the victims. People say “Black Lives Matter” because it’s true, but America’s history doesn’t want people to believe that. Black Americans are simply asking for racist people and police to stop killing us, and if they do, that they’re held accountable for their crimes. But time constantly shows us that these types of people get away with murder every day in this country. If I don’t feel safe here, why should I stay?

Between the low wages, unaffordable housing, restricted healthcare, and racism, the “American dream” just isn’t desirable. Needless to say — I’m tired and want out of this country. I’d rather live somewhere else in which my money will go farther and I don’t have to be afraid of everyone else treating me differently simply because I don’t look like them. Although I do believe I can live a more peaceful and fruitful life elsewhere, other thoughts come to mind, like figuring out which countries treat Black people with respect, dignity, and as equal human beings.

I’m not the only person that feels this way.

In the year leading up to Donald Trump being elected as commander-in-chief in 2016, a number of countries extended invitations for Americans to make a move elsewhere: Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. In 2016, over 7,000 Americans applied for permanent residency in Canada and the figure jumped to over 9,000 just a year later. Although Canada is tempting, since it’s still close enough for me to visit family in the United States, Canada deals with a certain level of racism as well. So if I really want to make the move, where else could I go?

I’m an avid fan of watching TV shows on HGTV, not for home renovations, but for people moving to other places. After being glued to episodes of House Hunters: International and Mexico Life, let’s just say I’ve seen nice villas in Bali and stunning condos in Cancun that have me itching to make the trek. Luckily, there are a few countries that are allowing Americans to live out this ex-pat dream.

That’s where countries in Asia and the Caribbean come in. During the summer, countries like Bermuda and Barbados created year-long programs for remote workers. A remote worker visa program will help increase tourism numbers, which is a huge part of the economies in these countries. Remote working while relaxing on a white sandy beach sounds most appealing to me! More importantly, living life in the Caribbean would allow me to be a part of a majority group of people.

Thailand is another country that’s offering a remote work visa program for nine months. Not only does Thailand have low numbers of coronavirus cases and fatalities, but the cost of food and accommodations is extremely reasonable. Not to mention, the country’s pristine beaches and cityscape views are jaw-dropping.

Coronavirus numbers continue to increase in the United States, causing the nation’s passport to be practically useless since Americans have been banned from entering most countries. At this point, taking advantage of a remote work program is not a bad deal to consider.

As a Black American, I’m seeing the perils and irresponsibility of a nation that is supposed to take care of its people. However, past history and current reality are constantly teaching us that America is a racist and capitalist nation that doesn’t believe in equality and justice for all. If the “American dream” is only suited for the rich and well-established, then I rather wake up and live in another fantasy that wants to see everyone thrive.

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Sasha Monroe
#BOLD

Content creator hailing from the West Coast who loves all things entertainment, technology, and travel. Catch me with a pen in my hand or behind a camera lens.