The topic I chose to describe is white working class people and the excerpt I read comes from J.D. Vance who wrote Hillbilly Elegy. Vance wrote this story to shed light on how poverty and social class can also affect working class white people and how he rose from the ashes to “have a nice job, a happy marriage, a comfortable home, and two lively dogs.” This is a story about achieving the American Dream even when events are not go for your favor. However, Vance accomplished his dream of going beyond his horizons and going to one of the most prestigious colleges the world had to offer. This speaks out to me in a way of where I stand right now as Vance stood proud that his grandparents know that “their grandchild graduated from one of the finest educational institutions in the world.”. I’m a young Hispanic woman who grew up in a 1st generation family where I am the first in my immediate and extended family to go off to an widely acclaimed college on a full scholarship. Like Vance, I had motivation from external sources, but had the drive to accomplish a dream that was far beyond what my parents expected of me. Prior to attending college and reading this excerpt, I had tunnel vision in where all white people, regardless of social standing, had better rights than any minority group could imagine for.
