An illusion. A fairy tale. A myth. Marie Velde, a librarian in sunny Santa Monica, California speaks candidly about the American Dream. She has come to believe that achieving the ‘dream’ is limited to those with privileged access and that it has become a tool for extortionist labor tactics more than anything else. 

 

As a Hapa and French identifying immigrant, Velde moved to the United States in 1994 to be with her high school sweetheart whom she met years earlier in France. She recounts her first few months living in Orange County and how urgently she sought and found work at Barnes & Noble to earn for her family. After struggling and needing financial assistance from family members to orient themselves, Marie and her husband began their life together in Santa Monica. 

 

With a home surrounded by nature, a culturally diverse and tight-knit community, and economic stability, Velde has achieved her version of the American Dream. But her experiences have nonetheless shaped her view that the concept is a fable, and she dispels the narrative that achieving success is easy in the United States. 

 

Watch Marie’s story below. Click here to read the transcript of Marie's video interview.