Opinion: Chasing the American Dream, part 1

When I was a child in post-World War II America, I was told that if I were to work hard, exercised care in balancing spending and saving, and stayed clear of gambling and other vices, I could obtain the “American Dream.” I wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but I knew that it wasn’t what I had. During most of my preschool years, I lived in a one-bedroom, 320 sq. ft. apartment on the fourth floor of a walk-up-apartment house in Brooklyn, NY.

The other residents of the apartment included my mother, father, and brother. The apartment was rented by my maternal grandfather and grandmother, and my maternal great-grandmother lived with us as well. The final two occupants were my Aunt Ruth, who was a high-school student, and my Aunt Dolores, who was unmarried. I honestly don’t know how nine of us managed in such a small space, but we survived.

We had radio, but no TV. However, for reasons that I can’t explain, I learned to read at a very young age, and I read newspapers, magazines, and books, at least the ones that my grandmother passed on to me. So, early in life, I knew that there was another America, and that was where the “dream” could be obtained.