Tag: american dream

On Indigenous Peoples Day, it’s worth underscoring something that many archaeologists know: Many of the values that inspire the American Dream – liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness – date back to well before the creation of the U.S.-Mexico border and before freedom-seeking Pilgrim immigrants arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620.

As I live streamed the inauguration, I was immediately struck by the weight of such a public ritual, of its symbolism and significance.

We have by now heard a litany of reasons why so many voters chose Donald Trump for president. Without discounting any of these helpful explanations, I would like to suggest another factor that accounts for Trump’s appeal to so many U.S. voters. Trump succeeded, in part, because he tapped into the most dominant thread of American religion. The most powerful religion in America is America itself.

For countless middle-class families who have experienced job loss or an unexpected financial setback, the American dream has become an American nightmare.