One of the staples of American society is the idea of hard work to improve yourself. We are taught from an early age that in order to achieve success, it takes patience and dedication to your job. Throughout history it has been a key idea that has fueled Americans to do their hardest to support themselves and survive. With it though came the idea that minorities were unwilling to contribute and only had the desire to take the path of least resistance that was based in longhand racism. As seen by our class' discussion on the transcontinental railroad; this is not the case. African American and Chinese labor was exploited to produce a revolutionary process of getting people and goods across the country. Working under extreme conditions and not getting proper compensation for it, they are the unsung heroes that shaped America through their work.
Despite this clear evidence, America still holds onto this outdated idea. When asked about Mexicans or African Americans, it is a gut reaction for many to say that they are taking advantage of America's opportunities and not doing anything to help themselves. Minorities are criticized for not doing their absolute best, despite facing institutionalized prejudice. Not fitting into the traditional idea of middle class jobs that were dominated by white men, the people actually making the best of their situation are largely ignored. Granted, the situation is better than it was for those working on the transcontinental railroad, but there is still room for improvements
The article that I relate this to offers an argument against this idea. Titled 'The Jobs Americans Do' it gives an insight to the people who actually make up the current working class, a majority of which aren't white men. Despite technological advancements that have found more and more people out of work, these individuals find work in the jobs others often overlook and make a living off of it. From fast food workers to a pipe fitter, these are the new generation of the working class Americans fulfilling the idea of hard work by telling their perspective. It also argues in favor for traditional human labor in a society that idolizes efficiency and modernity through technology. I saw this as a connection to the discussion of people finding work in the building of an American legacy. Those who do the "dirty jobs" that others take for granted and largely overlook. It also correlates to the clip of John Henry racing against the machine. While the type of job has changed over history, the working class remains a fundamental part of American culture despite generalizations made on their behalf.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/magazine/the-new-working-class.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
Greg, I thouht you raised an interesting point in your temporary connection about immigrants doing America's "dirty jobs." I think it is so interesting how Americans, especially those of the upper middle class, have held on so tightly to the idea that people that are deemed as "others" are low lives who exploit the jobs that Americans should be doing. But then it raises the question that if Americans should be doing those jobs why are they not running as fast as they can to beat out those migrant workers? Also, I thought it was interesting how particular services today have become those "dirty jobs." We definitely do live in a different world today than in the 1800s when the transcontinental railroad was being built, but it is interesting to see how people of color are being shoved into the minimum wage service sector. I believe that if Americans want to continue and exscuse for keeping out migrant workers or shaming people of color, they need to find a better reason to because all I see are hard working people who are just trying to make a living eventhough the odds are stacked against them.
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