The origin of white trash, and why class is still an issue in the U.S.

NANCY ISENBERG:

I would say that land is still extremely important. Class has a geography.

If we think about the way most Americans live — and the other measure of class that I highlight is homeownership. If you're poor, the same way they have different names for the poor, they have different names for what they live in, a shack, a shebang, or if we talk about trailer trash.

What we live in today, we live in class-zoned neighborhoods. We have taken into account the importance of racial segregation, and we know that history, but we also live in neighborhoods that are divided by class. And if you live in a better neighborhood, you have more amenities, you have better infrastructure, better schools.

And so geography still plays a very important part, and land — owning a house is a very important measure of being a member of the middle class.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sa7SZ6arn1%2Bjsri%2Fx6isq2ejnby4e86roKChnmLEqbXTnmStqpGotW6vy5qqrGWjqbatuIyiqqytlWLCbr8%3D