The Land of Opportunity

I believe in equal opportunity, one of the grand ideals of America. I believe that all people of all races and genders shall have the equal opportunity to reach hopes, dreams and prosperity. In many countries, like India, the child acquires the social status of his or her parents due to the caste society. In America, when equality of opportunity prevails, the placement of individuals in social status is determined by some form of competitive process on equal standards.

I remember when I was in 3rd grade and my whole class had career day. All our parents would come in front of the room and talk about their jobs. I would always sit in the back, head drooping, thinking how boring this was, but one thought always found a way to be glued in my brain. I couldn’t believe at the wide variety of jobs there could be in one classroom of parents. At the end of the day, my teacher, gesturing at the students, always used to say, “If you start now, you can grow and pick any of these talented jobs.” It doesn’t matter if you start poor or you start strong, your end can be radiant. Little did I know that the meaning of those words was as grand as the world, literally.

America, the land of opportunity, has a hard time living up to its name, but (like my growing fondness for pizza) it can get better. I once read a book about a Korean immigrant family. A young girl, Young Ju, heard about this heaven that is America. Her family moves to America, trying to see the light of day. The family, tired and hungry, faces financial problems at first, but soon starts to settle in and live the life they have always wanted. This is because of the land of opportunity, America.

My belief in equal opportunity can be created by giving everyone the same starting point, the same education, and further progression to the ones who advance. Everyone shall have the chance to go to every university, to take on every job, and to start a family. Equal opportunity, however, can not simply be handed and then simultaneously give you prosperity. Prosperity must be earned through hard work, dedication, diligence, and persistence. America is known for helping others, and diligence to achieve the greatest of the great.

Whenever I was asked what I prominently believed in, I could never give a sure, sincere answer. However, now equal opportunity might escalate in the list of my beliefs. Not only because America is where it starts and where it ends, it’s because families like Young Ju’s have a chance to breathe fresh air instead of the suffocation they once endured.