Where's the Middle Class?

As we have been discussing class during American Studies, I have become more aware of people trying to identify themselves with certain labels. When I came across this article in the New York Times, I thought it pertained to what we have studied in class. According to the article, the 2016 presidential candidates have been avoiding using the term "middle class" to describe most Americans. With the economy still unstable, even "middle class" seems unattainable to many people. The presidential candidates don't want to bring up that term since it no longer has the same positive connotation. Sarah Elwood, a professor at the University of Washington, claims, “The cultural consensus around what it means to be ‘middle class’ — and that has very much been part of the national identity in the United States — is beginning to shift.” Middle class is no longer something people want to strive for. 

Even in the middle of the pack, many people these days struggle to live well-off. The real middle class has become extremely small, with the majority of Americans being fitting into either the upper or lower class. Now, the American class system looks like an hourglass, with barely anyone left to live comfortably in the middle. According to Felicia Wong, the president and chief executive of the Roosevelt Institute,“If you’re technically in the 50th percentile in income distribution but you can’t afford to send your kids to college or take a vacation, are you middle class or not?” The "middle class" simply isn't a real middle class anymore. If we don't start taking care of the lower class and creating more of a real middle class, I don't think our economy will become stable. No one can obtain the American Dream without the middle class.