Gregory Mantsios-Class in America

Gregory Mantsios-Class in America

Gregory Mantsios is right when he says that class systems do exist in America. Many people shy away from the idea, or are too ashamed to admit that the land of great opportunities is not free from class system and such an ideology is mostly dismissed by a larger part of the society. One of the myths that Mantsios points out is that “everyone has an equal chance to succeed. Success in the united states requires no more than hard work, sacrifice and perseverance.” This is indeed a myth. Domestics, factory workers and janitors work hard. Parents, especially mothers, make untold sacrifices for their families. Minorities persevere in low-income jobs, not because they are not qualified enough to take top positions, but because unfortunately, issues of racial discrimination and sexism still persist in the land of great opportunities. Hard work, sacrifice and perseverance are not enough to make it in this great land of opportunities. Class systems deny people the opportunity they need by promoting income inequality, together with racial and gender discrimination.

Some people who were once poor have managed to turn their lives around and they have managed to become wealthy. Many of these people have abilities such as music and sports and these abilities have enabled them to change their lives for the better. Unfortunately, not everyone is endowed with such gifts and talents. One of the factors, which determine the level of success, is education. Yet education is not usually free. Mantsios observes that the class system determines how well a person does in academics. People who are more privileged tend to do better in academics, they can afford to go to top ranked colleges and this means that they get good jobs. However, people in the lower class do not get the chance to get a good education. Some of those who manage to go to college do not finish because they have financial problems. American schools and colleges reproduce, reinforce and legitimize inequality (Sacks 3).

Educated and wealthy parents want their children to follow their example. They know the best schools and they will do anything so that their children will go there because this will assure them of a successful future. They have an upper class mentality, whereby they believe that, being in the professions they are in, they are better than the others are (Sacks 3). Teaching methods, which involve testing and tracking, differentiate children from privileged background as gifted and talented, and therefore more deserving. Using the same methods, children from the lower class are considered academically deficient misfits who need remediation so that they can fill the basic societal needs (Sacks 195). With such classification, it is no wonder that these children will grow up knowing that they are not worthy and that they do not deserve the opportunities of realizing the American dream. Children who belong to the wealthy class usually inherit their parents’ wealth. Just like wealth is inherited, so is poverty.

Education is not the only factor that distinguishes between different class systems in America and determines the opportunities that come along people’s way. The kind of upbringing that a person has had and the neighborhood that one lives in determines the opportunities that people have. People who earn a low income are usually employed to do menial jobs and they work hard. Unfortunately, their hard work does not make them prosper but provides a means to earn their daily up keep. They live in poor and dangerous neighborhoods, most of which lack in social amenities.

Poverty is a cycle that is sometimes impossible to break. Although poor parents may take their children to school, chances are that they too did not receive quality education. They therefore do not have the capability and knowledge needed to assist their children in matters of education. This means that the children might not know the value of education and those who do not have the resources to move them forward. Poverty and crime are related. Poor people live in poor neighborhoods, which are mostly dangerous. They engage in crime such as selling drugs so that they can supplement their income.

In his work, Stephen Cruz, which is found in “American Dreams: Lost and Found”, Terkel tells the story of a man who comes face to face with issues of racial discrimination in all the places where he finds work. Just as Mantsios noted, women and non-whites have fewer opportunities of finding opportunities. He attempts to change the way his company operates by adding variety. He is Mexican and he decides to hire a black female secretary. This does not augur well with the management and they take the cowardly option of firing her when Cruz is on vacation. Sexism is a major limitation to finding opportunities and realizing the American dream. Many women face prejudice often and they are denied the chance of showing their abilities. This is despite of their academic background (Terkel 321).

As Mantsios noted, women of color are usually more disadvantaged. The situation is made worse if they come from the lower class and they do not have the necessary connections. This view is supported by Wysong and Perrucci, who posit that poor women, poor African Americans and poor Hispanics do not have access to opportunities for a good education and good jobs (Wysong and Perrucci 32). In addition, they do not have the necessary social connections in the economic, political and cultural sectors. Some women and some African Americans who manage to find jobs are usually placed in gender and racially segregated jobs. Wysong and Perrucci show that women make up 95% of nurses, 22% doctors, 98% dental assistants, 10% dentists, 98% secretaries, 86% elementary school teachers, 97% receptionists and 78% cashiers. Many blacks and Hispanics are usually janitors, truck drivers, security guards, construction laborers, farm workers, cooks and gardeners. These occupations are also the ones with the lowest income. Promotions to higher places are hard to come by for women and people of color (Wysong and Perrucci 34).

Class divisions are further enhanced by race. In the United States, the three main racial dives are the whites, blacks and Latinos, with blacks being the largest minority group. The difference between the three races has especially been expounded by Stephen Cruz. Being an educated Mexican in the sixties, he got the chance to work with the majority whites in high ranked organization. He noticed that despite all that was said about equality, nothing much really changed in the work place. One of the most distinguishing factors that he noted was that blacks who managed to succeed usually thought about themselves and forgot the poor. They were not willing to work with him in initiating change in the work setting. It is easy to observe that most whites are in the upper class whereas most of the lower class is made of the blacks. This is however not always the case. Some blacks are upper class whereas some whites are poor and belong to the lower class. Some find it hard to educate their children and they lack the resources to do so (Sacks, 2).

America is not a classless society, as many Americans would like to believe. Though it may be a land of great opportunity, the class system denies many people the chance to realize their dreams. Issues of racial and gender discrimination are especially paramount. There is a huge gap between the upper class and lower class Americans. The upper class Americans will always have an upper hand and they will always be in a privileged position because they have the necessary means to get quality education, which means that they will get good jobs. The lower class will continue to suffer in poverty because they do not have the means and the connections. Hard work, sacrifice and perseverance will not necessarily determine whether a person will get the opportunities promised by the American dream.

Works Cited

Sacks, Peter. Tearing Down the Gates: Confronting the Class Divide in American Education. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 2007. Print.

Terkel, Studs. American Dreams: Lost and Found. New York, NY: The New Press 1999. Print.

Wysong, Earl and Perrucci Robert. New Class Society: Goodbye American Dream? New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield 2007. Print.

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