My mother was raised by a single mother along with six older siblings all while living in poverty. She lived in a small house and slept in the only room there was with her mother and all her siblings. At an age where most kids' greatest worries are school, friends, and what type of food they’ll eat that day my mother was knitting clothes to sell so her family could afford to eat. A child raised in such conditions would most likely end up an adult living in poverty, but not my mother. She went to school and studied hard with all the free time she got, giving up time for sleep and other hobbies to do so. She worked multiple jobs as early as she could so she could afford college. She went to college for engineering while continuing to work multiple jobs to pay for her education. She spent all of her time either working or studying for years until she graduated. She got a good job that allowed her to support herself and after marrying my dad the two of them moved to the USA for work. My mother now makes over 90k a year, well above the poverty line.
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I grew up in a family that could easily be considered upper middle class in this country. I’ve never had nor needed a job. My only worries are school, friends, and the games I like to play. I have never worried about not having food, clothes, or other basic necessities. Going on vacation to theme parks or beaches during the summer and visiting family in Mexico every winter break is normal to me. I live in a large house in one of the richest zip codes in the state. My family owns multiple tvs, video game consoles, phones, and cars. College may not be easy, but my parents can afford to pay for me so I don’t go into debt. As a child I never questioned how rich our family was, but now that I’m older I realize how privileged I am. I am fortunate to have so many resources available to me. Achieving a stable future will be much easier for me than it was for my mother.
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