On the Rise

For class, we have started to read the book Class Matters, written by correspondents of The New York Times. The book discusses class distinctions and the way people feel about certain social classes as well as what they associate with them.

As I was reading, although it is not very far along in the book, one quote that really struck me was that "More Americans than twenty years ago believe it possible to start out poor, work hard, and become rich. They say hard work and good education are more important to getting ahead than connections or a wealthy background" (pg. 5).

This statement really struck me because it is something my dad strongly believes in. He believes that hard work and a good education lead to getting a good job. Being an Italian immigrant, my father did not grow up being part of the upper class. His father was a simple brick layer who spoke poor, broken english. My grandparents wanted my father to go into a trade, but my father believes in education and decided to go to college instead. It proved to be a good choice.

He worked his way up from working class and made his way into the middle class. Getting a higher education gave him more opportunity than he would have had, had he simply gone into a trade. He knows that a good education will lead to a good job and is living proof that hard work and education can help one overcome class boundaries.