I dreaded coming into the “American Dream” unit. Part of my life and identity is put under the microscope so that my classmates from their seats of privilege can say “Wow, that really sucks.” while I am quietly sitting in the corner thinking “Yes, it really sucks.” However, despite my initial reluctance and discomfort, this unit has probably been my favorite. The material was familiar and personal. I zoned in on topics such as the education gap between the rich and poor, the barrier to college for low-income students, the ramifications of the income gap, segregation of the rich and poor, and how underappreciated and underpaid low-income workers are. These topics are only too true in my own life. I use to think, languidly, “The American Dream
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From 1970 to 1999, the average annual salary in the U.S. rose by 10% while CEO salaries increased by 2785%! Less numerically outrageous but just as significant, the “after-tax incomes of the top 1 percent rose 157%, compared with only 10% gain for families near the middle of the income distribution.” (Krugman). Americans like to shake their heads and tsk their tongues at the levels of inequality during the Gilded Age but they are unaware that the twenty-first century is a second Gilded Age. In 1915, the top 1% owned about 18% of all income and in 2012, the top 1% owned about roughly the same amount of pre-tax income if calculated with conservative measures …show more content…
I use to think I get paid too much for being a cashier, but after standing for six hours, handling some aggravating customers, and enduring the monotony of a work day, I think I don’t get paid enough. And I’m just a cashier! What about the waiters and kitchen workers? After reading “Nickel and Dime,” I had a greater appreciation of “unskilled workers.” I hate that term, “unskilled.” It is another way of keeping wages low, by insinuating these workers are easily replaceable and valueless. Sure you do not need a college degree to work in retail or be a waiter but it does not mean it is not a physically and mentally demanding job that requires some skill. Can you carry four plates at once or not mess up the orders of five large tables? I do not admire executives or CEOs anymore. They have difficult jobs too but at least they get compensated (or overcompensated) with high salaries, personal days, paid vacations, and cushy
From 1970 to 1999, the average annual salary in the U.S. rose by 10% while CEO salaries increased by 2785%! Less numerically outrageous but just as significant, the “after-tax incomes of the top 1 percent rose 157%, compared with only 10% gain for families near the middle of the income distribution.” (Krugman). Americans like to shake their heads and tsk their tongues at the levels of inequality during the Gilded Age but they are unaware that the twenty-first century is a second Gilded Age. In 1915, the top 1% owned about 18% of all income and in 2012, the top 1% owned about roughly the same amount of pre-tax income if calculated with conservative measures …show more content…
I use to think I get paid too much for being a cashier, but after standing for six hours, handling some aggravating customers, and enduring the monotony of a work day, I think I don’t get paid enough. And I’m just a cashier! What about the waiters and kitchen workers? After reading “Nickel and Dime,” I had a greater appreciation of “unskilled workers.” I hate that term, “unskilled.” It is another way of keeping wages low, by insinuating these workers are easily replaceable and valueless. Sure you do not need a college degree to work in retail or be a waiter but it does not mean it is not a physically and mentally demanding job that requires some skill. Can you carry four plates at once or not mess up the orders of five large tables? I do not admire executives or CEOs anymore. They have difficult jobs too but at least they get compensated (or overcompensated) with high salaries, personal days, paid vacations, and cushy