White American here. Don’t generalize the “American” experience
I’m an American, white man, 33 years old. Born in California, have lived in Pennsylvania and currently in Texas. I grew up poor and have managed to find my way out of it, currently earning $200k annually and with plenty of time for hobbies. Life has been good to me, but I want to clarify some things I see on this sub.
There is no monolithic American experience. In my life I’ve seen the good and the ugly of American society. There is a lot of poverty here. There is a lot of ignorance. There are religious cults who hide behind “freedom of religion” to abuse children.
And there is also a pathway for some, like me, to escape that and find both happiness and financial success. It helps that I’m white, in shape, and conventionally attractive. People are shallow. I’m not more deserving than an Indian immigrant or a black child from Memphis. A chance to better your life is what is great about America, but it’s not the America everyone gets to experience.
I am still aware that many live their entire life and only see the first part. And I think a lot of people are missing that here.