In January 2013 a major US national newspaper quoted the former Secretary of State, Condolezza Rice: "It doesn't matter where you come from, but where you're going." However, in “The Land of Opportunity,” James Loewen discusses how significant inequality is in America. The social class you were born into will influence your view of social class and will also be the social class you find yourself in (Loewen, 1995. 322). Your social class will determine the opportunities available to you, including health, fitness, nutrition, education, SAT scores, medical resources, and more (Loewen, 1995. 321-322). Loewen also proposes that the education system in America does not incorporate an adequate analysis of our social class (Loewen, 1995: 323). It is necessary for students to be realistic about social inequality because it is linked to history. As students, we are socialized from an early age to believe in the American Dream through the media and our loved ones. We were raised to believe that our merit determines our success. In reality, race and ethnicity, class and gender play a vital role in determining where an individual ends up in life. The following articles raise uncomfortable facts that run counter to the American dream. Most of the assigned articles were about inequality focusing on race and ethnicity. Feagin discusses white Americans' attitudes and opinions toward racial discrimination and government actions against discrimination, as well as the persistence of racial discrimination. White Americans were interviewed and did not believe they were racist. However, their answers seemed racist in interviews. Feagin states that most white Americans' racist ideas and attitudes are imprinted on them because of the media, the education system, workplaces, chu... middle of paper... discrimination and inequality. Inequality is a sensitive part of our society. Discrimination and prejudice due to race, ethnicity, class and gender prevent minorities from having opportunities in their lives. Through these articles, you can understand how ascribed status affects individuals' chances of making progress in life. An individual who is not given “preferred” status can expect the need to overcome obstacles. However, success is still not promised to those who work hard and overcome obstacles. The American dream is to succeed through merit and determination, but to achieve success you need to have the means to achieve success which are not available to everyone. Based on these articles, Dr. Rice's argument is a false case, which does not take into account additional factors and is not based on a sociological imagination.