The Other America In The 1960's

The Other America In the 1960 's, America found itself in a very difficult time. We were getting involved with Vietnam, Civil Rights were a hot topic, as well as the wildness that came with the 60 's. Although these things were all people thought about at the time, there was still something constantly hiding from plain view; another America. Throughout history, there has always been a level beneath the commonwealth, those that are stuck below the poverty line. This was especially true for the 60 's, with an average of one in four people living below the poverty line. Even though there was such a large percent of the population below the poverty line, nobody was doing anything for these citizens. Not because the rest of society did not care, …show more content…
With a problem such as poverty, it does not affect everyone, just a percentage of the population. Often times, people that are stricken by poverty live with or near others who are falling on the same hardships. These people live away from the normal society that most are used to, off in their own world; their other America. In Harrington 's book, he argues that the reason behind this is the unfortunate placement of the family, race, or industry when you are born. If someone is born into a poverty stricken environment, they are more likely to continue at the same level throughout life. Harrington believed that it is not the individuals fault that they are stricken by poverty but the fault of their environment and family before them. Similar to the blindness and ignorance the wealthy might have towards the poverty stricken, those under the poverty line often know nothing else besides the environment they grew up around. Harrington helped mend this ignorance gap between worlds and began to reveal the other world that had been living underneath society unknown by …show more content…
Gaining a lot of attention as well as controversy towards poverty in America. For as much attention the book got, the more that got done for poverty stricken citizens as well as areas in the United States. Although this book was written over fifty years ago, its lessons and unfortunately the source of the problem still exists in today’s world. Poverty in America is something that unfortunately has still not disappeared, but the programs and assistance that Harrington 's book has given this group has improved immensely. Even in today 's society, Welfare, Social Security, and early educational programs are still in use, helping the poor. Because of programs like these, “older Americans have remained underrepresented in the ranks of the poor, with only 9 percent falling below the poverty line in 2010”