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What is the cost of the American dream in different parts of the U.S.?

Jul 17, 2023
We looked at the cost of big-ticket items and expenses, including a house, a car and raising two children, in four different states: California, Michigan, Georgia and South Dakota.
A view of a house in a suburban area in the middle of the 20th century. For many Americans, housing has become unaffordable.
George Marks/Getty Images

"Bootstrapped": The self-made myth and the “dystopian social safety net” it created

Apr 3, 2023
Journalist Alissa Quart says America’s myths about self-reliance have overshadowed the roles that communities play in financial success.
Warming centers, like this one set up in a Boston train station in February, are part of the "dystopian social safety net," author Alissa Quart says.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Latest Gallup poll finds pessimism about the American dream

Oct 25, 2022
The survey found fewer people believe that the next generation will do better than their parents' generation economically. Some groups have a grimmer outlook than others.
An inflation-triggered shift in the economy has darkened the outlook of the American Dream for many, according to a poll from Gallup.
Getty Images

A small gelato business confronts big questions

Apr 22, 2020
The owner of two Los Angeles stores shares her fears and hopes about surviving the coronavirus pandemic.
Courtesy of Uli Nasibova

Adventures in Housing: Holding out on a home to invest in something else

Nov 26, 2019
Zarrish Khan was about to buy a house when tragic news prompted a U-turn.
Zarrish Khan with her children, Hasan, left, and Mishal.
Photo courtesy of Zarrish Khan

Almost half of American households are unable to save for emergencies

Jul 25, 2017
And many don't have enough to cover basic needs for three months.
A mother and her child at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger food bank in New York City. 
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

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My Economy: Refugee says America is still 'the land of opportunity'

Feb 8, 2017
For the Ngalamulume family, the vetting process was difficult. But now two brothers are taking advantage of opportunities their parents never had.
Patrick Ngalamulume, left, and his brother George Ngalamulume are refugees from Zambia who immigrated to the U.S. in 2008.
Courtesy Patrick and George Ngalamulume

Post-war economic prosperity increased America’s interest in Christmas decor

Dec 2, 2016
Sarah Archer explores economic prosperity in post-war America in her book, "Midcentury Christmas."
A New Year's card issued in the USSR between the 1960s and 1970s.
Courtesy Sarah Archer

How do you define the American dream? Ikea wants to know

Sep 21, 2016
Can a company built on selling stuff help Americans achieve sustainable, happy lives?
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images