 
 <prompt> Wetin Be Today American Dream

Dem fit no call am American Dream, but for centuries people don dey go America dey find better, happier, and richer lives. But na myth or reality be today American Dream?

Isabel Belarsky tiny Brooklyn apartment dey full with her papa voice. Sidor Belarsky dey sing Aria for Russian and 90-year-old Isabel, wey her lips dey painted red, dey sway gently to the song wey dey come from her stereo.

Isabel dey talk with pride about her papa talent and him success as an opera singer: Albert Einstein bin like am well well, she talk say him invite Sidor to follow am go him speaking engagements and dey ask am to sing for the audience.

How the Belarskys take enter America na extraordinary story wey Isabel like to yarn about. Na the offer of a six-month job by a Mormon college president, wey see Sidor dey sing for Leningrad, make the Belarskys fit escape from Stalin's Russia for 1930. "Our dream na to dey America," Isabel talk. "Dem like am. My mama no fit think of Russia, e be her enemy and my papa, him make better career for here."

Like generations of immigrants wey don come before them, the Belarskys enter America dey find freedom--to them the American Dream mean liberty. But Isabel talk say e promise even more. "The dream na to work, get house and move forward. You fit start as a janitor and become the owner of the building."

The American Dream no dey write for constitution but e don dey part of the national mindset well well. Many people dey point to the second sentence for the Declaration of Independence--the "certain unalienable rights" wey include "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" as the "official" version of the phrase. But na for 1931 e popularize, when historian James Truslow Adams write for The Epic of America say the Dream mean "a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank".

The concept of the American Dream no remain the same. For European immigrants, like Isabel, wey dey run from persecution for the first half of the last century, the Dream na about life without persecution.

But somewhere for the middle of the last century the dream change. As America post war economy dey boom, the new arrivals want more than freedom--dem want share for the prosperity too.

For the 1950s, TV commercials dey show housewives wey dey proud dey show off kitchens wey full with shiny appliances. The quest for liberation turn to quest for Coca Cola. As the century dey go on, the materialistic side of the dream pass the political side. Dallas and Dynasty show say na country wey you fit become not just rich, but filthy rich.

Cheyanne Smith shock as she see the poverty wey dey America. She enter New York from the Caribbean seven years ago. After she don watch plenty American TV shows as pikin, she think say she sabi wetin to expect when her family move go Brooklyn. Instead, the poverty for one of New York poorest neighbourhood shock am.

"I think say this no be America because this no be wetin I dey see for television," she talk. Like Cheyanne, 18-year-old Franscisco Curiel too dey ambitious. Him come from Mexico City three years ago to go college here but him dey fear say Brooklyn schools no go give am better education. "The system dey spoil; we no fit get the superior education wey dem suppose give us," him talk.

Through the centuries America immigrants don suffer plenty hardship and sacrifice so that them and their children fit move forward. E no go surprise to hear the members of the Bushwick youth group dey lament the multiple, low paid jobs wey their parents dey do just to pay rent and put food for table. Wetin dey shocking na say these bright, ambitious youngsters no believe say talent and hard work go dey enough to ensure say them go ever get chance at that mythical American Dream. <response>: 1. Wetin kain special skill Isabel papa get?
2. Who offer am work?
3. Who see am dey perform for Leningrad?
4. E ask am make e work for am?
5. For how long?
6. Where?
7. Where e from?
8. Wetin dem dey find for America?
9. Cheyanne Smith dey from where?
10. Where she move go?
11. Which part of New York?
12. E be rich neighborhood?
13. She surprise?
14. Wetin surprise am?
15. She see plenty lack?
16. Wetin she expect America go be like?
17. Wetin TV dey show say you fit become for America?
18. Immigrants dey find am true?
19. Why parents dey work low wage jobs?
20. The pikin think say dem fit achieve the American Dream? 