Latino Survey Shows Growing Skepticism About Achieving the American Dream
A new Pew survey finds many U.S. Latinos feel the American dream is harder to attain than for their parents, though most still see their living standards improve.
According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, a modest portion of Latino adults claim to have realized the American dream, while a comparable segment believes it is unattainable or no longer exists. Among those who maintain belief in the dream, a plurality says it has become more challenging compared with their parents' generation. Immigrant Latinos report higher rates of feeling better off than their parents and express greater optimism about their children's future than U.S.-born Latinos, who are more divided.
Third-and later-generation respondents are the most skeptical, with many asserting the dream has grown harder. Open-ended responses link the dream chiefly to financial stability, economic opportunity, and home ownership, with fewer mentions of freedom or equal treatment. Hard work and access to opportunities are cited as key factors by most respondents.
Why it matters
The findings highlight shifting attitudes toward economic mobility among Latino Americans, a key demographic in U.S. society.
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