DOES THE AMERICAN DREAM STILL EXIST IN 2023?

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – If you ask most people around the world what they mean by the “American Dream,” nearly all will respond with some version of upward mobility, the American success story, or the self-made man (rarely the self-made woman). Perhaps they will invoke the symbolic house with a white picket fence that suggests economic self-sufficiency and security; many will associate the phrase with the land of opportunity for immigrants.

No less an authority than the Oxford English Dictionary defines the American dream as “the ideal that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination and initiative.”

I can confidently say that the most comforting sight I have always seen was the Star-Spangled Banner at our neighbor’s backyard here in South San Diego. Indeed, every time I see an American flag, I pause and reflect on everything I love about the United States – its rugged individualism; it’s never ending bravery and its relentless pursuit of prosperity.

My red, white and blue hopefulness may come across as rather naïve, though. Lately, many American cynics argue that America’s division by the close margins in the elections makes meaningful progress impossible and has created a land of bitter partisans.

Undeterred by their rhetoric, people of the world are still equally hopeful and apprehensive, some as always turning to the U.S. in search of adventure and others because they had nowhere else to go. I have always thought to myself that this was the American dream in action. No doubt about it, we were all once perfectly clichéd foreigners imagining what our lives would become when we made it to the Promised Land and each of us was immensely proud that the opportunity was imminent.

And as everyone knows, the “American Dream” is a legendary ideal.

It’s a clarion call to prosperity and fulfillment; however one chooses to define such success.

That’s why practically everyone talks about the American Dream –from famous astronauts and artists, to renowned activists and architects. If I might add, too that while the American Dream is constantly being chased; it’s also being relentlessly critiqued. People often wonder if the dream is still alive, and if its ideals can actually be achieved.

That’s especially true right now, three years into a pandemic that has harmed economies, separated families, and increased global rates of depression and anxiety several

ADB

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“This bodes well for sustained private consumption, which should get an additional boost from steady remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs),” the ADB said.

The bank took note that despite impressive gains in economic growth and poverty reduction, the country faces the challenge of addressing climate change and risks to food security, especially for the bottom two income deciles, as malnutrition and hunger incidence persist, the report says.

“The challenge requires a multipronged approach that considers both supply and demand factors,” it said.

“This includes addressing bottlenecks in local food production and agricultural productivity and trade and raising household incomes and incentives for better health and nutritional outcomes. Social protection, including food voucher programs, play a central role in alleviating poverty and hunger,“ the ADB said.

Senate, House, SC, Cabinet get 'very good' satisfaction rating — SWS

The two houses of Congress, as well as the Supreme Court and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr's Cabinet, all scored "very good" net satisfaction ratings based on a December 2022 survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

According to the survey's results fold.

While most Americans, 70% continue to view the American Dream as personally achievable, 29% tell Gallup that even by working hard and playing by the rules, the American Dream is unreachable for them. The latter figure represents a slight increase from 25% in 2009, when Gallup last asked Americans this question.

However, this nationwide outlook masks important disparities in the perceptions of various groups across the country. Women aged 18 to 49 for example, are significantly more likely than older women – and men in all age groups – to say that even by working hard and playing by the rules, the American Dream is unattainable for them in their lifetime.

Gallup also reported a recordlow percentage of women feeling satisfied with how women are treated in the U.S. Younger women were especially pessimistic about the treatment of women.

As might be expected, those in higher-income households are more likely to view the American dream as achievable – with 80% of those living in households earning $100,000 or more holding this perspective. Sixty-one percent of those households making less than $40,000 agree while 37% in this group describe the American dream as unattainable for them.

Democrats are less likely than Republicans to describe the American dream as achievable, a pattern also seen when Gallup previously asked this at the start of Barack Obama’s presidency. However, the gap has widened with nearly four in 10 Democrats now saying the American dream is impossible for them, up from 29% back then.

A similarly sized improvement in Republican perceptions of the attainability of American dream took place after President Donald Trump was elected. It is important to note that the first poll took under a Democratic presidency. Yet unlike other metrics more prone to partisan swings from one partyled administration to another, there seems to be less of a partisan sway among Americans on this question.

So for the $64,000 question: Is the American Dream still attainable? And more importantly, what does it look like for immigrants in 2023?

Yeah, “The American Dream”… the belief that America offers abundant opportunity to everyone for a good and successful life achieved through hard work.

Throughout America’s history, this ideal has inspired hope in many people. It is a backbone of our nation, motivating millions to uproot their lives and immigrate to released on Thursday, the Senate scored the highest net satisfaction rating with 68%, followed by the House of Representatives with 56%, Supreme Court with 53% and the whole Cabinet with +50.

The SWS said the Senate’s net satisfaction rating was anchored on 81% net satisfaction score in Mindanao, followed by 68% in Balance Luzon, 63% in Metro Manila and 59% in the Visayas.

The Senate's net satisfaction rating reached 77%, which is classified "excellent" in rural areas. In urban areas, the Senate scored 60%.

The Senate’s 77% net satisfaction score in the rural areas is also higher than its October 2022 score of 66%, while its 60% net satisfaction score in urban areas, on the other hand, is almost the same as its October 2022 level of 61%.

The House of Representatives’ 56% net satisfaction rating, meanwhile, remained unchanged from October 2022. Its net satisfaction rating is highest in Mindanao at 65%, followed by Metro Manila at 54%, Balance Luzon at 53%, and the Visayas at 52%.

The House’s net satisfaction score is also higher in the rural areas at 63% compared with the urban areas at 48%.

The House’s 63% net satisfaction score in rural areas higher than the 57% recorded in October 2022. Its net satisfaction score of 48% in urban areas, however, was a decrease from 54% in October 2022. The Supreme Court (SC) also gained a

America. It has helped many get through difficult times in their lives by giving them something they can aspire to achieve.

This aspiration is deeply rooted in the founding of this nation. Historically, immigrants sought refuge here to escape religious persecution, limited class mobility and many other restrictions. If one was willing to work hard they could, at least theoretically, build a successful life here in America.

However, there is a flip side. For better or for worse, the American Dream finds its roots in individualism. It puts all the responsibility for achieving success on each American. And depending on one’s background the path to attain their dreams can be filled with varying obstacles. Since the founding of the nation, exploitation has been a major part of both politics and the economy. Many laborers suffered as those at the top reaped the rewards of their labor. It also cannot be ignored that the United States has a history of discrimination.

The U.S. has taken land from Native Americans, enslaved African Americans and committed many more atrocities. If it could make them money, there were no limits to their discrimination and exploitation they would perform. Even today, the impact of these past choices cannot be erased. They still influence America systematically, and our economy is still willing to exploit people for profit. Despite promises to offer equal opportunity, there have been countless times America’s government has fallen short in keeping them.

Last year – in 2022 – politics became more and more divisive. The times of finding common ground feel long gone. In all this chaos, where does the American Dream stand? Have politicians forgotten it? They seem content making promises about supporting it in their campaigns. However, this means very little without them taking any actual action to support it. It would be refreshing to see politicians make the changes necessary for the rating at 53%, scoring the highest in Mindanao at 55%, followed by 53% in Balance Luzon, 52% in Metro Manila and 51% in the Visayas.

The high court’s 52% net satisfaction rating in Metro Manila was an increase from 43% in October 2022. Its 53% rating in Balance Luzon was also higher than its 46% score in October 2022.

SC’s score, however, fell slightly in Visayas and Mindanao from the October 2022 scores of 54% and 60%, respectively.

As for the Cabinet, it scored 53% in Mindanao, 52% in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon, and 43% — which is classified "good" — in the Visayas.

The Cabinet’s 53% and 43% net satisfaction ratings in Mindanao and Visayas were down from October 2022 levels of 64% and 53%, respectively. On the other hand, its net satisfaction rating of 52% in Metro Manila is also lower than its October 2022 score of 57%.

The survey was conducted from December 10 to 14, 2022 using face-to-face interviews on 1,200 adults nationwide aged 18 years old and above. The SWS said there were 300 respondents each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The sampling error margins are ±2.8% for national percentages, ±5.7% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. (MNS)

Inflation decelerates to 7.6% in March 2023

The Philippine Statistics Authority

American Dream to be doable for every American. Is the American Dream even achievable in 2023?

If we’re being honest, it has never been a true reality in this country. Perhaps, it’s accomplishable if you have the drive. Unfortunately, even then it is still not an even playing field and far from guaranteed. There are many setbacks still systematically holding individuals back and those issues are often deeprooted, learned from our long history of exploitation. There will always be many individuals who face more obstacles on their path to success. However, the American Dream originated from those determined to achieve it no matter how hard they had to work, As much as politicians try to claim the term, it has never been theirs. The tradition of hard work belongs to the people, not to an institution. No one has ever granted Americans equal opportunity to achieve their dreams. Instead, it is an ideal that we, the people, can strive towards. Each of us can choose to dedicate ourselves to taking the chance to make our dreams a reality. Even if that means we must fight for it or face it never coming true. That is the telling it like it is spirit of this country: the generations of people who have worked against the odds to achieve great things. The U.S. is not a perfect place, but this tradition of hard work is something Americans can be proud of. The American Dream is simply a manifestation of all this.

Despite all the political upheaval, we can still have hope. For as long as the U.S. has existed there have always been corruption and contradictions that held our nation back from having equal opportunity. However, despite this so many have chosen to still take a chance on their ambitions. This is the true dream: having a goal, being brave enough to commit to it, and not losing sight of it despite the hard work along the way. Our history can teach us that the heart of this nation has always lied with the people who were

(PSA) on Wednesday reported that the inflation rate in March this year slowed down to 7.6 percent from 8.6 percent the previous month.

In a press conference, PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician Dennis Mapa said last month’s figure brought the inflation rate for the first quarter of the year to 8.3 percent.

Mapa attributed the downtrend in inflation to the slower increase in prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 9.3 percent in March from 10.8 percent in the previous survey. He said the lower food and nonalcoholic beverages inflation was mainly due to the slowdown in the inflation of vegetables, including onions.

The rate of price increase of vegetables, tubers and others was at 20 percent in March from 33.1 percent in February.

Mapa said the food basket contributed 3.3 percentage points to the overall 7.6 percent inflation last month.

However, Mapa said the PSA has observed a slow upward trend in the prices of rice since the start of the year.

Inflation of meat products also decelerated to 4.6 percent in March from 6.5 percent in February, while sugar, confectionery and desserts declined to 35.2 percent inflation from 37 percent in the same period.

Contributing to the downward trend of inflation last month were transport, with inflation decelerating to 5.3 percent from 9 percent; and

Jesse T. Reyes Filipino Potpourri

willing to give up so much for the chance to chase their dreams or to give their children that opportunity. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that anyone will achieve this. The road to attaining one’s dreams might not be easy or even fair. Yet like so many who came before us, we can attempt to overcome the obstacles. Or at the very least, there is a lot we can learn from all those who have fought for their aspirations. In both the past and present, the American Dream is daring to hope.

I say the American Dream is alive and well, especially for incoming immigrants. A quick glance at new business statistics affirms this.

In fact, studies show that immigrants are more likely to become entrepreneurs than U.S.born citizens. And while immigrants comprise roughly 13% of the American population, they account for over 20% of the self-employed workforce.

Better yet, over 55% of America’s billion-dollar startups were founded by an immigrant.

And consistent with their views on the achievability of the American dream, most U.S. adults (60%) say it is very or somewhat likely that today’s youth will have a better life than their parents did.

About four in 10 (39%) describe such an outcome as very or somewhat unlikely.

Views on opportunities for future generations grew relatively dim during the –unemployment years after the Great Recession. In 2011 and 2012, less than half of Americans (44% and 49%, respectively) said it was likely that younger Americans would have better lives than their parents, reflecting the economic pain felt by many during this period.

Most U.S. adults, if I may say it – still view the American dream as achievable in their lifetime. However, a significant percentage say it is unattainable and think that today’s young people will not have better lives than their parents did. Perhaps most troubling is the relatively higher rates of young women across the country who describe the American dream as unattainable placing them apart from older women and men in general. This disparity coincides with other assessments of life in America; in which women have housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, with inflation slowing down to 7.6 percent from 8.6 percent.

Moreover, the inflation rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) also decelerated to 7.8 percent in March 2023 from 8.7 percent in February this year.

Inflation in areas outside NCR (AONCR) was also at a slower pace at 7.5 percent in March from 8.5 percent in its previous month.

All regions, except for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), posted lower inflation rates in March this year, the PSA said.

Meanwhile, Mapa reported that the inflation rate for the country’s bottom 30 percent income households was at 8.8 percent in March 2023.

Although this declined from the 9.7 percent inflation in the previous month, he said the impacts of the increase in prices of goods were heavier for the bottom 30 percent income households.

“The direction is going down, but of course, we want to bring down the inflation of the bottom 30 percent to a lower level because the effect is greater for the bottom 30 percent income households compared to the, let’s say, higher income household… The idea here is you look at where the weights are really heavy, and this is really food,” he added.

GSIS to release pensions ahead of regular schedule

The Government Services Insurance System (GSIS) announced on Tuesday night that its 562,000 less positive views than men on the treatment of women in society – as well as whether women are tended with respect and dignity in the U.S. pensioners would receive their pensions before the holidays this Holy Week.

The growing partisan gap in perceptions of the attainability of the American dream coincides with a noticeable decline over the past two years (since Trump was elected) in Democrats saying they are extremely proud to be American. Similar to their more positive views on the attainability of the American dream, Republicans were also more likely than Democrats in that poll to express extreme pride in being American.

While Democrats are increasingly less likely than Republicans to say the American dream is achievable, this could simply be a reaction to the current administration. It remains to be seen whether views on the American dream have become as subject to partisan swings as other metrics Gallup tracks, such as assessments of the economy.

Ultimately, while the American Dream is a collective ideal, it’s comprised of individual visions for prosperity. Your dream for tomorrow is as valid as anyone else’s, and it must be protected at all costs.

That is the American dream: what democracy can accomplish on its own behalf for its citizens. The first voices to speak of the “American dream” used it not as a promise, or a guarantee, but as an exhortation, urging all Americans to do better, to be fairer, to combat bigotry and inequality, to keep striving for a republic of equals. That is the American dream we need to revive: the dream of a social order defined by the American creed, a belief in the United States of America as a government whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic.

Staring at the broad stripes and bright stars, each of us – as Americans – I believe is more than ready to accept that responsibility regardless of all the risks that it entailed. The American Dream suggests that even the smallest possibility of reaching that height is worth the unpredictability it entails. No matter how delusional each of us may be, that uncertainty is euphoric, if I must honestly say it. What say you?

GSIS president and general manager Wick Veloso said instead of the usual e-crediting on the eighth of every month, the pensions would be released on Wednesday.

"We know that our retirees need their pension early as most commercial establishments will be closed during the Holy Week. Semana Santa is one of the most important religious occasions in our country and we want our pensioners to prepare for it without having to worry about their necessities,” Veloso said.

The GSIS, he said, sees the urgency of releasing pensions as government agencies would be closed from the afternoon of April 5 until April 10.

The state pension fund releases pension electronically through the Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) card or temporary electronic card (eCard), which are issued by either the Land Bank of the Philippines or the Union Bank of the Philippines.

Currently, GSIS pensioners and members may still use the GSIS Touch Mobile app to check their records and apply for loans and claims anytime and anywhere.

Pensioners may also schedule their Annual Pensioners Information Revalidation wherein all old-age and survivorship pensioners are required to personally report to any GSIS office or through the GSIS kiosk during their birth month to continue receiving their pension. (MNS)