New Insights

My insight into the "California Dream" previously had been limited to the opinions of those who had successfully found their dreams within the cities and suburbs of California. I still believe that the California Dream comes to those who have realistic views of what the "California Dream" means and are willing to work for it, or it comes to those who are extremely lucky. Although I had listened to various songs and had read many books and articles on the misery that follow the lost expectations of the California Dream, I hadn't connected how prevalent this idea of the "California Dream" after the start of migrations into California till even in the present.

Gladys Knight's song "Midnight Train to Georgia" revealed to me the expectations that most have when going into Los Angeles and the feelings that occur after realizing that they cannot handle the challenges California poses. Her song pointed out to me the reasoning behind most peoples' decisions in leaving family and traditions to come to a foreign place that may not even grant a person what they hoped for. Before this song, I hadn't asked myself: What does a person do if they don't find their "California Dream"? Those I had talked to about the "California Dream" still found hope within it even if not all of their expectations were met, so it wasn't until analytically evaluating this song that I came across the idea of a person being fully dissatisfied with what California had to offer. I feel like the purpose of this song is not only to refute the "California Dream", but also to point out a problem prevalent and relatable to most who arrive in California with expectations of wealth and fame.

"Midnight Train to Georgia"

by Gladys Knight and The Pips

"L.A. proved too much for the man,

So he's leavin' the life he's come to know,

He said he's goin' back to find

Ooh, what's left of his world,

The world he left behind

Not so long ago.

He's leaving,

On that midnight train to Georgia,

And he's goin' back

To a simpler place and time.

And I'll be with him

On that midnight train to Georgia,

I'd rather live in his world

Than live without him in mine.

He kept dreamin'

That someday he'd be a star.

But he sure found out the hard way

That dreams don't always come true.

So he pawned all his hopes

and he even sold his old car

Bought a one way ticket

To the life he once knew,

Oh yes he did,

He said he would

Be leavin

On that midnight train to Georgia,

And he's goin' back

To a simpler place and time.

And I'll be with him

On that midnight train to Georgia,

I'd rather live in his world

Than live without him in mine.

Go, gonna board, gonna board,

Gonna board the midnight train.

Gotta go, gonna board

Gonna board

Gonna board the midnight train

"

The main idea "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight and The Pips presents is the idea of the California Dream being just a dream for many, failing to transform into reality. Although there are a few people who reach their goals and have the ability of living in Los Angeles, many people who travel to LA with the dream of success do not contain the ability to achieve this. Instead, they find loss of hope and generally return to their hometowns with less than they came with. Most dreams within this aspect exceed reality and due to this, it's understandable that the California Dream is unmet. Within this song, the character tells of how her man has goals of becoming a star in LA, but after a few months, he realizes that these dreams are lost hopes when he loses his car, money, time, and idealistic view of California.

My California Dream

 Living in Orange County, I have been surrounded by the idea of the "California Dream" my whole life. During my childhood, my parents would tell me about their own experiences in moving to California. At this point, the dream that had been prevalent around me is that of my parents which had been filled with dreams of opportunities for the younger generation and themselves: a vast job market, a large university network, and a safe suburbia. Both of my parents came to California in the 1970s--one from chilly New York and the other from Japan--with the dream in mind. My Dad was drawn in by the environment--the promises of grand national parks and beaches, constant sunny weather, fresh air--that he couldn't find in Queens. Coming from a country that didn't have a vast amount of career choices for women, my Mom arrived in Fullerton, California with visions of a future filled with any opportunity she desired as long as she worked assiduously toward her goals.

Suburban neighborhood in Irvine, California

University of California logo

The "California Dream" transformed in my parents' conversations as I became older. The dream still held vast amount of promises, but I began to realize there were gaps and flaws that no realist could ignore. Deflation caused threats to the economy and job market, causing the cost of living in California to become more difficult. Filled with sunshine, California was not only just warm in the summer, but also became dry enough for large fires that consumed neighborhoods and filled the sky with thick, black ash. However, despite difficulties, each year there was still conversation about another year of sunshine, the best public university system, and places to visit. There continued to be talk about this "California Dream" which consisted of wondrous places, weather, and atmosphere which was prevalent nowhere else. The opportunity cost of living in Southern California was great enough that these flaws seemed minuscule in comparison to the luxuries provided in this state that my parents had failed to find in their own birthplaces.

With time and new generational views, the "California Dream" is constantly changing, and although it may not be the dream of the older generations, it continues to contain hope and opportunity for those willing to strive for it. The dream is relative for each person and what each person is searching for, and I continue to see California as a paradise that offers opportunities unlike anywhere else. Here in California, I can study a career in engineering with a pool of diverse people in pleasant weather. I have the opportunity to explore large multi-cultural city communities as well as to travel back to peaceful suburbia to relax. Although living in California poses challenges, I still find more pros than cons, making my "California Dream" come alive.