Communication Studies Major
Non-WMU Program- Universidad Latina De America, Mexico, Spring 2018
Poverty in the United States is different to poverty in Mexico. A lower class family in the United States, in most cases, has access to basic life needs; food, education and healthcare. Not here. The disparity between high class and lower class people can be huge. Therefore, you can see a wealthy family taking frequent vacations and having a nanny and just a few blocks from them find a house made of sticks whose occupants’ head of household makes $10/day. It is not uncommon to find children trying to earn money by selling things as simple as their artwork or asking for spare change in the streets. Do they go to school? Do they get to keep any money? In many cases the answer is No. The money earned is not used to have luxury but to simply survive, to have food. Their childhood is not like ours. Instead of playing with toys or Apple products you will find them playing with rocks, sticks or other kids.
Mexico does not offer free education for K-12 nor do the schools provide free lunch. So, how are parents supposed to afford education for their children with the little money that they make? Level of education does not define those kids. They are rich in culture, work ethics and humbleness. Although the numbers of childhood in extreme poverty are low, they still exist.
So Americans, are we really poor? What is our definition of poverty? Appreciate the little things, some people have it worse.