WHITE TRASH
The 400-Year Untold
History
of Class in America
Author: Nancy Isenberg
2016
Viking
Isenberg states her purpose on page 2 of White Trash: “…by reevaluating the
American historical experience in class terms, I expose what is too often
ignored about American identity.” She adds a second aim. “I also want to make
it possible to better appreciate the gnawing contradictions still present in
modern American society.” Her major theme appears to be a persistent lack of
equality since the early English settlements gained a foothold in America: “How
does a culture that prizes equality of opportunity explain, or indeed
accommodate, its persistently marginalized people?”
She encourages Americans to “recognize the existence of our
underclass.” And offers us a question to answer: “The puzzle of how white trash
embodied this tension is one of the key questions the book presumes to answer.”
As we might expect of from a history professor (LSU),
Isenberg begins at the beginning—that is, she offers us an English context for
the people selected to inhabit the early settlements in America. In doing so,
she reminds us that a variety of whites came along with the storied religious Pilgrims
and Puritans as well as the Virginia Gentlemen. She does not ignore slavery and
the increasingly well-known horrors of African Americans. Rather, she focuses our
attention on the laws and attitudes that excluded a white underclass from
enjoying the opportunities of the wealthy rulers who governed the inhabitants
of the eastern seaboard.
Twelve chapters, with catchy titles and colorful language
aimed at classifying the poor whites, expose the uncharitable manner in which
the elite used their power to keep a certain group of white people within
limited boundaries. We discover American leaders identified common
characteristics of laziness, low ambition, and a general uncleanness of people
variously labeled rubbish, poor white trash, clay-eaters, and mudsills.
Often, quoted leaders use breeding analogies to refer to the
quality of human stock. Blood lines and the importance of good parents are
linked as explanations for the status of the poor and their characteristics
that serve as missing rungs on the proverbial ladder of success. When the
theory of eugenics arrives in the US, we see many leaders embracing the beliefs
like converts to a tent revival.
From time to time we learn of plans to improve the lot of
poor whites. There are efforts to give ambitious people a parcel of land, which
often required the removal of Native Americans. As we move into the 1900s, we
learn of the political battles over such efforts as FDR’s programs during the
Great Depression when there was visible evidence of downward mobility and
later, Johnson’s Great Society. Helpfully, Isenberg points out the uselessness
of the occasional celebrations of poor folks who make it. Sometimes she points
out the false claims of the rags to riches stories. At other times, she reminds
us that such celebratory news stories are rare events and not typical of the
vast underclass that remain at a considerable distance from the halls of wealth
and power.
By the time I reached the end of the book, I felt overwhelmed
by the stories used to support her thesis. Indeed, America has an underclass.
Although some of the stories are new to me, I was familiar with others from
various sources such as PBS documentaries, textbooks on history and sociology,
and living amongst poor and lower middle class whites for most of my early life.
Nations have myths so it is not surprising to learn that
many of the American myths were quite detached from reality. What is
interesting is the degree to which the myths and belief systems create such an
effective class structure.
I am no historian but I like to think of other possibilities
to account for a set of findings. Isenberg has focused on the underclass in the
early American colonies and the persistence of the poor whites in the American
South. Having lived in New Mexico for some years, and finding many poor who
were nether white nor of British heritage, it seems her thesis needs to be
broadened to consider the influence of the Spanish who ruled vast swaths of
what is now the United States. And why not consider the influence of French
culture on mid-America—especially since the French held sway where the author
lives and works in Baton Rouge?
Another factor that seems to be missing is a careful
analysis of the role religion plays in maintaining or limiting the status of
poor whites. After all, regardless of which European country the ancestors of
America’s whites called home, most Americans have identified with some brand of
Christianity. From time to time we hear advice to respect authority in church
and in society. Isn’t religion and important factor in the status of America’s class
system?
Isenberg’s attacks on breeding myths, blood, and eugenics
are important. Such ideas rule even amongst those with graduate degrees in
biology and the behavioral sciences. Nevertheless, she appears too dismissive
of biological factors in accounting for the factors that make life a
significant challenge to acquire an education or job skills that could become
the path out of poverty.
Finally, I am disappointed in her lack of consistent
comparisons across the historical time periods. Sometimes we are treated to
quotes from influential political leaders, including the founding fathers. At other
times she delves into the details of a novel or a play. What’s missing is some
sort of weighting of the contribution of different sources to an understanding
of why we continue to have an underclass.
So far, I am fortunate to have experienced the traditional
American Dream. Our first home in America was indeed a filthy, insect infested,
block rental house. Both of my parents left school at age 14, which was not uncommon
amongst their peers, but considered a factor in poverty discussions. We were fortunate to have help from neighbors--a few white families and one black
family--community makes a difference. And my father was healthy enough to work loading concrete blocks on trucks--health is worth a lot.
When we needed more money, my mother was fortunate to find employment in retail
shops or cleaning homes for middle class families. In addition to the early start, I am now aware that I
benefited from white male privilege. But I recognize, that there are many
white Americans who remain poor. And there are many reasons for their ongoing
struggle.
I suggest White Trash will be useful to those who are unaware
of the attitudes of America’s elite toward the poor and the history of false
beliefs about why some people fail to achieve a modicum of independence from
reliance on government support and help from area charities. Readers will not
find a broad consideration of the causes of poverty or effective ways to raise
their standard of living.
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