then she work as a maid right here in this city at the empireol palace. i lived here six years. then she went back to miami and worked as a stock clerk mitchell dad was a bartender, at banquets tech bowling alley, working those jobs, here's what my parents achieved. they owned a home in a safe and stable neighborhood. they raised four children and left all four of them with a life better than the one they knew, and they were able to retire with dignity and security. the next time someone tells you the american dream is only about how much money you make or whether you become famous or well-known, it isn't true. that may be part of your individual dream, but the american dream is about achieving happiness and fulfillment as you define it. bit the way, we call it the american dream but it really is a universal dream. people all over the world have this dream. they've had it for millenia, the desire not to just be better off but to leave their kids better off than themselves. why they call it the american dream is because so many millions of people have been able to achieve it here