Wearenotwhowethinkweare.
TheAmericanself-imageisspreadwiththegoldenglowofopportunity.WethinkoftheUnitedStatesasalandofunlimitedpossibilitynotsomuchaclasslesssocietybutasaplacewhereclassismutable—aplacewherebrainsenergyandambitionarewhatcountsnotthecircumstancesofone'sbirth.
TheEconomicMobilityProjectanambitiousresearchledbyPewCharitableTrustslookedattheeconomicfortunesofalargegroupoffamiliesovertimecomparingtheincomeofparentsinthelate1960swiththeincomeoftheirchildreninthelate1990sandearly2000s.Hereisthefinding:"The'ragstoriches'storyismuchmorecommoninHollywoodthanonMainStreet.Only6percentofchildrenborntoparentswithfamilyincomeattheverybottommovetothetop.
Thatisrightjust6percentofchildrenborntoparentswhorankedinthebottomofthestudysampleintermsofincomewereabletobootstraptheirwayintothetop.Meanwhileanincredible42percentofchildrenbornintothatlowestarestillstuckatthebottomhavingbeenunabletoclimbasinglerungoftheincomeladder.
ItisnotedthateveninBritain---anationwethinkofasburdenedwithahideboundclasssystem-childrenwhoarebornpoorhaveabetterchanceofmovingup.WhenthestudieswerereleasedmostreportersfocusedonthefindingthatAfrican-Americansborntomiddle-classoruppermiddle-classfamiliesareearningslightlylessininflation-adjusteddollarsthandidtheirparents.
Oneofthestudiesindicatesinfactthatmostofthefinancialgainswhitefamilieshavemadeinthepastthreedecadescanbeattributedtotheentryofwhitewomenintothelaborforce.ThisismuchlesstrueforAfrican-Americans.
Thepicturethatemergesfromallthequintilescorrelationsandpercentagesisofanationinwhichoverall"thecurrentgenerationofadultsisbetteroffthanthepreviousone"asoneofthestudiesnotes.
Themedianincomeofthefamiliesinthesamplegroupwas$55600inthelate1960s;theirchildren'smedianfamilyincomewasmeasuredat$71900.Howeverthisrisingtidehasnotliftedallboatsequally.Therichhaveseenfargreaterincomegainsthanhavethepoor.
EvenmoretroublingisthatournationofAmericaasthelandofopportu
