I do no think I would have put "assimilation" on a list of American Dreams. Maybe belonging or fitting in. Semantics I suppose.
I feel like everything cost money. The dream of finally puttering around the house after paying off the mortgage might not hold the same allure these days.
After factoring in property tax, insurance, and HOA fees, power and water and garbage and Internet, the bills don't stop after the mortgage payments are over, and the smart consumer's got it all on a spreadsheet. So paying off the mortgage is something to celebrate because it's the biggest bills by far, but not the end of being a wage slave, unfortunately.