Paired Texts > Mariah Carey, queen of the American Dream

In "From Princeton to Prison: The Rise and Fall of My American Dream," Mahmoud Reza Banki shares his experience being wrongly imprisoned. Pair “From Princeton to Prison: The Rise and Fall of My American Dream” with “Mariah Carey, Queen of the American Dream” and ask students to discuss the two texts’ perspectives on the American Dream. What does the American Dream mean to Mahmoud Reza Banki, author of “From Princeton to Prison: The Rise and Fall of My American Dream”? How has Reza Banki’s experience with the U.S. legal system shaped his belief in the American Dream? What does the American Dream mean to Darrel Alejandro Holnes, author of “Mariah Carey, Queen of the American Dream”? How has Alejandro Holnes’ experience as an Afro-Latine immigrant in the U.S. shaped his belief in the American Dream? What does the American Dream mean to you? Which aspects of the American Dream described in these texts resonate with you or do not resonate with you?

In "Interview," the speaker shares their complicated experience of trying to find a sense of home.

In "I Don't Have Babies but I'm Obsessed With Baby Names," Sarah Baird explains why she is fascinated with the meaning and impact of names. Pair “Mariah Carey, queen of the American Dream” with “I Don't Have Babies but I'm Obsessed With Baby Names” and ask students to compare the style and structure of the two essays. How does Alejandro Holnes weave personal anecdotes together with broader information about Mariah Carey to support his claims about Carey and American culture in “Mariah Carey, queen of the American Dream”? How does Baird weave personal anecdotes together with broader information about names and social trends to support her claims about the significance of names in “I Don’t Have Babies but I’m Obsessed With Baby Names”? How do the texts demonstrate how writers can use personal anecdotes to support broader arguments?

In "The Struggle of Deciding Between Being Bengali or American," Momotaz Rahman reflects on her Bengali-American identity. Pair “Mariah Carey, queen of the American Dream” with “The Struggle of Deciding Between Being Bengali or American” and ask students to discuss the role of multiculturalism in the United States. Why does the author of “Mariah Carey, queen of the American Dream” argue that Mariah Carey’s multicultural appeal is representative of the modern American Dream? How does the author of “The Struggle of Deciding Between Being Bengali or American” feel about the relationship between her Bengali-American identity and American culture? According to these texts, what is the relationship between multiculturalism and American culture overall?

In "The Paradox of Being a Black Role Model," Kareem Abdul Jabar argues that Black role models like Barack Obama and Misty Copeland play a complicated role in U.S. society. Pair “Mariah Carey, queen of the American Dream” with “The Paradox of Being a Black Role Model” and ask students to discuss how the authors use public figures to think about the American Dream. According to the author of “Mariah Carey, queen of the American Dream” what does Mariah Carey’s biography, music, and fan base say about the American Dream? According to the author of “The Paradox of Being a Black Role Model,” what does the complicated success of Black role models like Barack Obama and Misty Copeland say about the American Dream? Compare and contrast the authors’ central claims about the American Dream and its relationship to race and equality.