Classism in America?

under74

I recently had an experience at school where I felt like the one odd poor class in the room. The conversation started with homelessness and then gravitated to poor people in general. There were a lot of weird and false assumptions laid out like "those people walk hunched over" and " they" .....well you get the picture.

Speaking as someone who grew up poor, I took great offense and fumed, debating whether I should jump in and defend the people they were stereotyping or walk out (throwing a chair as I exited the room). In the end I didn't do anything but glare at the people talking and roll my eyes. And I'm regretting that I guess.

Afterward, I was talking to a professor (not a part of the class I speak of here) who came over recently from England. He asked me why I was so angry and I told him what had happened. He replied "I didn't think there were classes in the United States."

So what do you guys think? Is there classism in the US? Am I overreacting? I don't think I am. I'm trying not to hold a grudge against the people in this class....not that I think being clueless is an excuse, but I'm trying not to hold a grudge.

Peppermint

In the States I get the impression that if you have the money you can belong to whatever group you choose. Which I don?t agree with.

Some of the aristocracy in the UK would see you as a peasant even if you owned half the world. It?s all about breeding, inbreeding more like!

wanderlustguy

I definately think there is. For instance I work with someone who has never really had to do without. Like you, I too grew up very poor, we usually huddled in one room (my mom, brother and I). I've never had anything really given to me outside of a few items of furniture a long time ago, etc.

Maybe it is more of an educational gap, so to speak. If someone has never been poor, they can never fully appreciate how it affects a person. Usually I feel people who have never experienced real poverty or trial overestimate what is really due to them. If someone has always had everything provided, they do not know what it is to earn anything, it's just expected.

under74

Peppermint, I think you can belong to any group if you have the money in America....I guess even though I'm not going hungry and have a way to make rent I don't consider myself as anything more than what I was brought up.

But really, I guess part of what bothered me is that the general assumption during this class discussion was that everyone was from the same background and so it was okay to say whatever was on their minds wihout thinking first.

stopthepain

you in whatever class you want to be.It's all subjective.I for one am glad I,m not rich and shallow,or poor and bitter.Money isn't everything.

under74

True wanderlust. Thanks for stating that.

Lostreality

Sorry to hear about what happeneded, under. But yes I do think there is classism in America.

franklin J

oh yes.

While America is the "great democracy" with "liberty and justice for all" there is most definately a class structure in our "egalitarian" society.

Perhaps not as rigid as the old world European standard; however it is alive and well in New York, specifically on Long Island and in Westchester. Money is the great standard; if you have lots --that is the ticket for admission. Once inside the club the distinctions become more subtle, and you must have some kind of "pedigree" to move "up":

" who are you related to? Any lineage to one of the great American fortunes? Vanderbilt? Morgan? Guggenheim? Whitney? Carnegie? Phipps?"

"are you descendent of any signers of 1) Declaration of Independence? 2) Constitution? 3) Bill of Rights?

"how did you make your money; what do you "DO"? some professions are regarded above others....

"are you celebrated in any way? Actor?, celebrity.? author? Major Politician?

It sounds terribly snobbish; and it is. But it is a fact of life in these parts.

Having survived the ravages of the Jehovahs Witnesses; I feel like I can take them all on ! ( and will, of course fall flat on my face)

sassafrass

As a child I had a lot of experiences with being excluded or made fun of because I was poor. Some children would follow me home and make fun of me for wearing pro-wings instead of Nikes or would tell other kids not to play with me because I was poor, those kinda things. I know those children had to get their attitudes about poor people from somewhere. As an adult I haven't had the subject come up much socially. I know that it exists in adult circles( there is a wealthy town nearby that doesn't want "standard" power lines running through THEIR town because their ugly) but the vast majority of us don't fall into the elititist snob category and they pretty much wouldn't be caught dead hanging out where the rest of do which is pretty great for the rest of us. I believe there is classism as there has always been, the general mass outnumbering the small percentage of the wealthy, however the juvenile behaviour that accompanies it is generally diplayed by children or those who as adults haven't risen above that level of childish pettiness. No amount of money will buy friends them or happiness, pity them for they will leave this world with the least love and gratification. Most of the time however you'll just be dealing with a bunch of average Joe's.

Dragonlady76

Under74,

Sorry you had to expirience that. Yes there is definitely classism in America.

I too grew up poor, my grandparents raised me and neither one had an education and spoke english poorly, my g-dad was a janitor and worked his but off, my g-ma never worked a day in her life and wasn't about to. I was made fun of in school for my clothes as they were always hand me downs or I wore the same thing over and over, at the KH there was a very petite sister in her 50's who gave my mother dresses for me, they were awful! OMG the embarrasment I felt at wearing ultra conservative old lady clothes, I felt like such an unattractive idiot. The expirience left me with self esteem issues that have taken a long time to get better. Now I can say that I go out of my way to be very stylish. My husband and I are well off and feel it's important to teach kids about compasion and humility, when he is old enough we will have him do volunteer work with the poor in hopes that he does not grow up to be a snob, and understands we are all human being with feelings regardless of social or educational success.

Dragonlady76

Classism in America?

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