Pew: Latinos divided on whether the American dream is attainable

A new Pew Research Center survey released Sept. 1 finds U.S. Latino adults are sharply divided over whether the American dream is attainable for them, even as most report improved living standards compared with their parents and optimism about their children’s futures.

What the survey measured and key findings

Pew’s National Survey of Latinos polled 4,923 U.S. Latino adults in October 2025 as part of a larger analysis of attitudes on economic mobility and opportunity. The survey was bilingual, nationally representative and recruited through random sampling of residential addresses, with interviews conducted online or by telephone.

On the question of the American dream, respondents were split: 20% said they have achieved it, 33% said they are on their way, 18% said it is out of reach for them, and 27% said the American dream does not exist. Pew counts as believers those who said they have achieved it, are on their way, or say it is out of reach (excluding those who say it does not exist).

At the same time, majorities of Latinos reported upward progress across generations. Fifty-seven percent said their standard of living is better than their parents’ at the same age, while 23% said it is worse. When looking ahead, 53% expect their children to be better off, and 14% expect their children will be worse off.

Immigrant optimism and generational differences

Pew found differences by nativity. Latino immigrants were substantially more optimistic than U.S.-born Latinos about both their own economic standing and their children’s prospects. Seventy percent of Latino immigrants said they live better than their parents did, compared with 49% of U.S.-born Latinos; 63% of immigrants expect their children will be better off, versus 48% for U.S.-born Latinos. Among third-and-later-generation Latino adults, a majority (52%) said the American dream has gotten harder to achieve.

How Latinos define the American dream

When asked in their own words what the American dream means, respondents most frequently cited financial security, economic opportunity and homeownership. About six in 10 linked the phrase to those material measures; roughly four in 10 mentioned a good life for themselves, their family or community. Less commonly mentioned were freedom, hard work and equal treatment.

“A chance for upward social mobility,” said a late-20s immigrant woman of Cuban origin, according to the survey reporting. “It means the pathway exists for someone to claw out of poverty.”

What Latinos say it takes to achieve the dream

Among those who believe the American dream exists, most emphasize personal effort and opportunity. Eighty-one percent identified hard work and motivation as a major factor, and 76% pointed to access to the right opportunities. Far fewer — 35% — attributed attainment primarily to luck. Those who feel they have already achieved the dream were more likely to stress hard work; respondents who said it is out of reach were more inclined to highlight chance.

How Latino views compare with other Americans

Pew’s findings show Latino adults’ assessments are broadly similar to non‑Hispanic adults on whether the dream is attainable. For other U.S. adults, 28% said they have achieved the dream, 29% said they are on their way, 19% said it is out of reach and 23% said it does not exist. Where Latinos differ is on intergenerational progress: larger shares of Latinos report better living standards than their parents and greater expectation that their children will be better off.

Context, caveats and outstanding questions

Pew notes methodological differences complicate direct comparisons with some prior surveys: the center’s earlier 2016 phone poll showed the reverse pattern on whether the dream is harder or easier to achieve than for parents, but a switch from phone to online surveys limits the comparability of those trend claims. The survey’s measures of belief in the American dream combine several response categories; Pew defines “believe the American dream exists” to include respondents who say they have achieved it, are on their way, or say it is out of reach, and excludes those who say it does not exist.

The report highlights a persistent tension in Latino views: many express skepticism about the dream’s attainability while still reporting concrete intergenerational gains. That divergence — pessimism about attainability alongside evidence of upward mobility relative to parents — is stronger among U.S.-born and later-generation Latinos than among immigrants.

Implications for politics and public policy

These mixed attitudes have potential political and policy implications in the United States. How Latinos perceive opportunity, fairness and the role of hard work could shape their views on education, immigration, housing and labor-market policies. The Pew reporting shows that identity and nativity shape those perceptions: immigrant Latinos are more likely to emphasize upward mobility and to describe the American dream in material terms, while later-generation Latinos are likelier to report the dream has become harder to reach.

Policymakers and civic leaders aiming to address economic mobility will face differing expectations within the Latino population about what drives success — individual effort, structural opportunity, or luck — and how to measure progress across generations.

Remaining questions

• How will economic trends since October 2025 affect Latinos’ assessments of attainability and expectations for their children?
• Which specific policies would most change perceptions about whether the American dream is reachable for Latinos born in the U.S.?
• How do regional differences, education levels and income intersect with nativity to shape these views?

Pew Research Center’s full analysis and survey methodology provide the detailed tables and question wording behind these findings; the center’s report forms the basis of Courthouse News’ summary of the same survey.