I have been avoiding an interesting book for a few years - My family fits this story a bit as my family was part of the great ‘job’ migration from the south to the north in the late forties and early fifties. My family was not from the ‘hollows.’ Instead, we were from the cotton fields of northeastern Arkansas.
JD’s family ‘immigrated’ (a deliberate choice of words) from the hollows of Kentucky to Middleton, Ohio, to achieve a better life. The forcing of this culture into a very different area leads to a fascinating story. Sometimes, we Americans believe ourselves to be a similar monolith with very similar cultures - this book demonstrates that as a false narrative.
I recognized a few issues from my childhood in this book - so much so that my siblings will meet in the next few weeks to discuss this book and its implications for our families. JD was an exception - he was one of the few in his neighborhood to achieve a college degree; in fact, two! I, too, was an exception as I have two degrees and both of my siblings have college degrees. I am very proud of them!
If your family fits this profile, I encourage you to read the book - it will not be pleasant at times, but you may understand your family a bit better.
The answer it didn’t provide was whether his/my family would have fared better if it remained in the south? I suspect the answer is complicated and may never be answered. Would my cousins who experienced drug usage or family break-up still have the same results in the north?
The real people who need to read this are the policymakers addressing poverty in the US, but I suspect that they will ignore it. The end of the book has JD sharing policy recommendations that he suggests will make a difference;
intact families and
income segregation ( mixing low-income kids with other income strata will help the poor kids see the possibilities and rise) and
Letting the court systems include the greater family in taking care of kids in crisis instead of moving them into ‘approved’ foster care.
This is a book that poor blacks also need to read. The belief that there is a distinct difference between poor blacks and whites is dispelled in this book. Discrimination is real for poor white ‘hillbillies,’ the same (but different) as for blacks. Maybe reading this will take race out of the picture and put culture/family back in; policymakers may have a chance at fixing it when they do this successfully.
I succeeded in a poor section of town where primarily hillbillies from the south moved to take manufacturing jobs in southwestern Michigan. It had the poorest schools, the least experienced teachers, minimal books, and a ratty playground. Despite this, I am convinced that my success was due to dedicated parents who had a strong faith in God.
Please read the book and tell me your American Story.
NOTE: I apologize for the recent dirth of articles - I have contracted Covid and am on a 21-day seclusion due to my ongoing medical issues - I am doing fine, though.
Sorry to hear you caught the Vid but happy to hear you aren’t having serious issues.
I didn’t know your family came from northeastern Arkansas. That’s where my mom is from, Knobel to be exact. The home of Barbara Fairchild. Oh and Charlie Robb. You’ll find Barbara Fairchild in Google but not Charlie Robb. He was just a good old boy who retired in Knobel (population hovering around 300 In good years) after giving up the hard winters in Chicago. My grandfather decided he needed to be as famous as Barbara Fairchild (a B list entertainer) so he tacked “And Charlie Robb” under her name on the plywood greeter sign at the edge of town.
I’ve started this book a couple of times myself and I’ve seen the movie. I recognize the people.
I’ve got a book for you to add to your list: How To Be Perfect by Michael Schurr. It’s basically a moral philosophy primer for dummies, told with a lot of humor. I’m reading it now.
![Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by [J. D. Vance]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3bd194e-177f-47f4-9abe-e4d760eb35b3_332x500.jpeg "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by [J. D. Vance]")
Great synopsis Lee.
Sorry to hear you caught the Vid but happy to hear you aren’t having serious issues.
I didn’t know your family came from northeastern Arkansas. That’s where my mom is from, Knobel to be exact. The home of Barbara Fairchild. Oh and Charlie Robb. You’ll find Barbara Fairchild in Google but not Charlie Robb. He was just a good old boy who retired in Knobel (population hovering around 300 In good years) after giving up the hard winters in Chicago. My grandfather decided he needed to be as famous as Barbara Fairchild (a B list entertainer) so he tacked “And Charlie Robb” under her name on the plywood greeter sign at the edge of town.
I’ve started this book a couple of times myself and I’ve seen the movie. I recognize the people.
I’ve got a book for you to add to your list: How To Be Perfect by Michael Schurr. It’s basically a moral philosophy primer for dummies, told with a lot of humor. I’m reading it now.