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Citation Information
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Manser, Martin H. "American Dream." Writer's Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 17 Apr. 2025. <http://fofweb.infobase.com/wrc/Detail.aspx?iPin=DOA00109>.
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American Dream

Definition 
The notion that the United States is a land of freedom and opportunity for all people, of whatever color, gender, religion, or class. More cynical observers, however, tend to associate the phrase with the disappointment of naive optimism about what the United States really has to offer. The phrase appears to have been in use since at least the early years of the 20th century, when hundreds of thousands of immigrants flocked to the United States from all over the world in search of better lives. His first impression of downtown Detroit sat uneasily with the image in his head of the American Dream.

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