South and Southeast Asian Languages and Societies Commons^™

Land Of Opportunity, Ashley Radee '13

2010 Fall Semester

“We are the most perfect society now existing in the world,” wrote Michel-Guillame de Crevecoeur in his 1782 book, Letters from an American Farmer (325). Although that sentiment is debatable, the meaning rings clear; America is a land of opportunity, without oppression, without “princes for whom we toil, starve, and bleed” (Crevecoeur 325). Back in the 18th century, America lived and died for freedom, and people around the world took notice. The United States still plays a big role in the global power scene, but some people would argue that the ideals of America, of liberty, hard work, and prosperity, …