The United States of America boasts of being home to people of different backgrounds ranging from whites, blacks, Asians, Indian, Aborigines and very many others of different backgrounds. It can be said to be the boiling pot of cultural diversity but all these groups are characterized by different social classes (Henslin 2011). There is the upper social class that is characterized by a minority, the middle class where many of its citizens belong and the low class that has quite a substantial number of people. The black people tend to belong mainly in the middle class and the lowest class.
As for the black people, there are several social classes that can be found therein depending on the ancestry of each individual. One characteristic that can be seen to be cutting across all the social classes found in the black community is the levels of poverty. This notwithstanding, the blacks have always tried to find a respectable place in society (Henslin 2011) . They keep trying to distance themselves from their past that was characterized by poor living conditions.
Most of these members seeking their own identities in the black community have tried to identify with some lifestyles in the quest to alienate them from the position they had been put into by their ancestors. This kind of lifestyle change demands that they change every aspect about them from their speech to their aspirations.
It is never easy because alienation from the wider group is never challenging. No matter the effort, there are several factors from the society in general which hinder their efforts in their upward social mobility. It is not easy from other groups of people and from the other blacks too (Henslin 2011). This kind of treatment from other people from other backgrounds then boils down to one feeling unwanted. Black skin color seems to haunt a majority of blacks and this has led them to be viewed as people of a lesser class no matter their achievements.
References
Henslin, J. M. (2011). Essentials of sociology: A Down –To-Earth Approach. 9th Edition. New Jersey. Prentice Hall. Print.
