This week, we had a guest speaker at the Alfred-Müller-Armack vocational school in Cologne-Zollstock. The American Lauren visited our English class to talk about the topic of the American Dream. She is from Buffalo, a city near New York.
In her presentation, Lauren talked about the history and meaning of the American Dream, and how it has changed over time. She focused on important social and political issues connected to this dream. The main topics she discussed were the Statue of Liberty, the idea of the Melting Pot, the Black-Lives-Matter movement and women’s rights.
Lauren explained that the American Dream was originally the belief that anyone can achieve success through hard work, no matter where they come from. However, she also showed us that this dream is not the same for everyone. Many people in the United States still experience racism, discrimination, and social injustice. She spoke about the Black Lives Matter movement, which fights against police violence and racism, especially towards African Americans. We also learned about the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of freedom and immigration, and how the idea of the Melting Pot means that many cultures mix together in the USA – but this also brings challenges. Another important part of the class were women’s rights. Lauren explained that women in the United States still have to fight for equality in areas like the workplace, politics, and society in general.
The presentation was very interesting and gave us a better understanding of the American Dream and its problems. Lauren also shared her personal experiences and gave us a real insight into American society today. It was great to learn about these topics from someone who lives in the US and sees these issues in real life.
Benedikt und Nikolas Dadic on behalf of the classes WG31 und WG32
