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Christopher Root
Instructor: Stephanie Maenhardt
ENGL 1050 Intro/Rdg Diverse Cultures (HU/DV)
2 August 2016
Divide by Zero
A common phrase and belief that is used today is that money doesnt solve everything.
There are, of course, baselines that must be established that one certainly cannot be happy
without: shelter, food (including water), and clothing its difficult to be in good spirits if you
are cold, hungry, and naked. There are those with an abundance of all three we consider to be
rich or the upper class, the majority of us who sit in the center, and those who struggle to meet
one or more of them on a regular basis at the bottom we refer to as poor. With so many resources
available, it is difficult to fathom in todays world that there are people that go without these
basic needs. Our readings have touched the surface of these issues, and the common component
in each is the struggle for a better life. The history of our country is rich in class division, ranging
from those pursuing opportunity from foreign countries, those trying to maintain the status quo
through enslavement to retain wealth, and modern day exploitation of the working class. The end
result is that we create divisions based on other cultural factors such as race, ethnicity, and
gender but the true culprit is the basic desire to forge a life where basic necessities are not a
challenge to achieve.
The recent exit of Britain from the European Union was triggered by fear of immigrants
and residents of the country feeling as though they were losing their sense of identity, jobs, and
even sovereignty. A boogey man was needed as a scapegoat and immigrants were an easy

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target. Are the people of this wealthy nation truly xenophobic to the point where anyone of a
different race or ethnicity could truly be believed to be such a culprit in the downfall of a once
thriving economy? Certainly, this is part of the equation, but the truth is that because immigrants
are powerless and poor, they have no voice with which to create a dialogue and discuss real
solutions to this difficult issue. This exact scenario has been replayed throughout history on
countless occasions, and unless you are Native American, you have ancestors that were referred
to as immigrants in the United States. Ellis Island was a focus of our early readings and is a
perfect example of such a division in class. In it, Mary Gordon travels to the location where her
ancestors landed and pays homage to the struggles of the underclass arriving in America for a
chance at a better life. When discussing her own grandmother, she claims that she [came] alone
from Ireland in 1896, vouched for by a stranger who had found her a place as a domestic servant
to some Irish who had done well (Gordon 434). This story would be quite different for any
wealthy person attempting to make a new life in America!
After meeting these basic needs and achieving middle-class status through wealth, an
immigrant family is said to become acculturated. This process is not something that typically
occurs overnight, and often takes several generations to achieve. Our early course readings
referred to this explicitly: The fifth- and sixth- and seventh-generation Americans lost the zest
which came with climbing got to the top of the pecking order (Mead 100). At this point,
racial and ethnic divisions become almost irrelevant as they have achieved status in the middle
class or above, and fear of deportation or othering becomes a distant memory as they have now
become part of the majority. While the writings of Gordon and Mead are quite different, it is
quite apparent that Gordon has become acculturated, and though she is paying homage to her

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ancestors, their sacrifice has provided a path for her to live the life that could only be dreamt
about in previous generations.
Many immigrant entrepreneurs came to the US and thrived. Through several generations,
businesses passed down and tricks of the trade have allowed these families to accumulate wealth.
The Du Pont family of Delaware are one such example. They are descendants of French exiles
and were purveyors of the largest gunpowder manufacturing firm in the entire world
(Nagengast). They have had major political influences in the region, serving in the senate and the
governors office, and are one of the richest families in America. On the contrasting end of this
spectrum are black Americans. While major strides in civil rights and abolition has now been
fully enforced for almost two centuries, it is only now that blacks are starting to realize
accumulated wealth after being restricted for hundreds of years through slavery.
While the issue of race was certainly a driving factor behind enslavement, a larger factor
played a role in the continued repression of an entire people. The southern economy and parts of
the north of the US were reliant on cheap plantation labor, and the wealth of southern aristocrats
was built on the backs of hard-working black Americans. While there were most definitely those
who spoke in favor of abolishing slavery, blacks became a part of an underclass with little to no
representation or wealth to be spoken of. Frederick Douglass escaped slave, African American
leader, and orator spoke to the disenfranchisement in his speech for the occasion of the Fourth
of July, entitled What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? He opens the speech humbly,
expressing his gratitude for being asked to deliver words, then proceeds to blast black
oppressors, intimating the hypocrisy shown by those who would cheer a celebration for
independence while allowing the racial divide to promulgate. His monument is built up by the
price of human blood, and the traders in the bodies and souls of men, shout (Douglass 465).

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He speaks directly to the labor provided by slaves, providing a cheap means for accumulated
wealth to be accrued by the slavers.
The class divide persists to this day. For the first time since our inception, black
Americans feel they have someone who truly represents their interests and is willing to speak
upon their behalf. In Barack Obamas famous speech, A More Perfect Union, the president
speaks directly to the division created by black Americans forging a path into the middle class.
Just as black anger often proved counter-productive, so have these white resentments distracted
attention from the real culprits of the middle-class squeeze (Obama 480). During this period of
overt racism and even skepticism of Obama as a true American, the president still points at the
fact that the true cause of the racial divide is actually a consequence of a larger number of people
entering the middle-class minorities demanding to be treated as equals and access for people to
the basic human needs of shelter, food, clothing, and access to healthcare. On the surface, the
issue appears to be primarily racial, but the unspoken battle always returns to that for equality
based on divisions by class.
Today, the class divide is front and center as never before in human history due to the 24hour news cycle and social media. This has been driven by involvement by Millennials who are
described as coming of age around the year 2000, are technologically savvy, and far more
tolerant than previous generations on a variety of social issues. They are historys first always
connected generation (Keeter). This always connected generation is shining a light on the
wealth gap and the exploitation of the impoverished. An industry called Slumming that has
been a pastime since early urban settlement of America has recently gained notoriety with
multiple Hollywood films returning dividends for movie-makers (Slumdog Millionaire for India
and City of God for Brazil). This is one such example where not only are a class of people not

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being represented or ignored, they are being exploited for financial gain. They sell the idea that
change can be had by experiencing the conditions of those in squalor by paying money to see it
firsthand. While sincere individuals purchase tours very similar to cruise excursions, the
backlash of those actually living in these conditions is beginning to be heard. Kennedy Odede
explains the actual result of this type of tourism: Its just as likely that a tour will come to
nothing. After all, looking at conditions [like those in Kibera] is overwhelming, and I imagine
many visitors think that merely bearing witness to such poverty is enough. Nor do the visitors
really interact with us (Odede 519). I am in agreement with Ruthann West (a fellow student)
and her take on slumming: These days again, I believe Odede is right. Its more a spectacle. Its
entertainment for those on vacation, something to live and immediately escape with a breath of
relief (West). The pros of education simply do not outweigh the con of exploitation.
I would like to think that I took a different approach to the various readings we have
studied this semester, and have explored each issue through the eyes of each subject by
ascertaining the true divisions that result in conflict. In my view, the root cause always seems to
be the never-ending battle for wealth and resources. While divisions by class can never
immediately be rectified, I believe it is important to shine a light on what causes these divides, in
an effort to more fully understand why a people or a culture might feel oppressed and lacking
representation. All people, regardless of the location of their birth, deserve to be treated
humanely, and to me this means access to the basic necessities and the ability to work hard to
make a better life for you, your family, and the ancestors who sacrificed for the opportunity.

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Works Cited
Douglass, Frederick. "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" George, Diana and Trimbur,
John. Reading Culture 8th Edition. 2012. 460-475.
Gordon, Mary. "More Than Just a Shrine: Paying Homage to the Ghosts of Ellis Island." George,
Diana and Trimbur, John. Reading Culture 8th Edition. 2012. 430-435.
Keeter, Scott and Taylor, Paul. PewResearchCenter. 10 December 2009. 24 July 2016.
Mead, Margaret. "We Are All Third Generation." George, Diana and Trimbur, John. Reading
Culture 8th Edition. 2012. 94-101.
Nagengast, Larry. DelawareToday. April 2014. 24 July 2016.
Obama, Barack. "A More Perfect Union." George, Diana and Trimbur, John. Reading Culture
8th Edition. 2012. 476-483.
Odede, Kennedy. "Slumdog Tourism." George, Diana and Trimbur, John. Reading Culture 8th
Edition. 2012. 518-521.
West, Ruthann. SLCC Canvas. July 2016. 24 July 24.