Victoria Rametta
Ashley Salmon

About Our Conversation

I grew up in a rural, conservative, working-class town where most of us could largely fulfill our American Dream. So, I asked my friend, Ashley, to this Coffee + Courage Challenge to talk about what the American Dream meant to her. I knew she had a vastly different upbringing from me, having grown up in a Jamaican-American family in Atlanta. I learned a lot from our conversation. I shared with Ashley that growing up, I was taught—and still believe in some ways—that with hard work and determination, I can pick myself up by my bootstraps and accomplish my version of the American Dream. To me, the American Promise means that regardless of your background, creed, race, gender, or sexuality, you can pursue happiness and your American Dream, whatever that looks like.

Ashley agreed that most Americans want to work hard and earn an honest living to actualize their American Dream. Yet, she emphasized, “Maybe not everybody has boots. How can we lend a pair so that that dream is still accessible to all, given that there are different paths?”

Through these types of conversations—and through hardships I’ve experienced while striving to achieve my dreams—I’ve come to realize my concept of the American Dream has shifted. The idea has become clearer in some ways. For some, there are obstacles and even systematic barriers put in place that limit their ability to achieve theirs. And in other ways, it’s harder to see the Dream as achievable with all the visible and invisible hurdles. We’re all facing difficulties and struggles and want similar things for ourselves, our loved ones, and our community. That’s what the American experience, American values, and the American Dream mean to me. When all people are created equal, and you work hard, you can be anything you want to be.

-Victoria Rametta