Poverty in America | The Economist
- 5 years ago
Poorly educated men in rich countries have had difficulty coping with the enormous changes in the labour market and the home over the past half-century. In Tallulah, a decaying railroad town in Louisiana, men are absent or idle, and women have become the bread-winners
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Life was always hard for poor American men but lately it's been getting harder. This is evident on the streets of places like Tallulah a decaying railway town in a poor corner of Louisiana, one of America's poorest states.
Juan Hall grew up as one of five boys. His mother raised her sons alone working two jobs at a time to support them. Like lots of men in Tallulah, Juan never knew his father. A generation or two ago the men here worked on the land or at the Chicago timber mill but the mill closed and machines have replaced lots of farm jobs. For the men who relied on their hands rather than their education for a job, work dried up. It's a phenomenon being repeated across America and much of the rich world. In Tallulah some young men tried to enlist in the army, others leave in search of work elsewhere - the men who stay see few opportunities and many will end up hustling.
Juan has spent nearly ten years of his life in prison for drug dealing - that's not unusual in Tallulah where many men will do time behind bars. In places where men are idle or absent women often end up raising children on their own.
Sandra Patterson, known as Tessie, does hair to help support herself, her children, and her grandchildren. Tessie has three children with three different men. She left all three fathers because of what she describes as the demon - drugs. Tessie is not alone. The two-parent family is vanishing among the poor. In some areas, where traditional manufacturing has collapsed, nearly 3/4 of the children are raised out of wedlock. At the graduation of a local charter school where Tessie works as a substitute teacher the absence of fathers is conspicuous.
Women make up most of Tallulah's breadwinners and child rarest but this reality jars with the expectations that local men still have about their role in society.
Juan has four children by four different women. He married the mother of his youngest child and has set up a business selling sneakers out of his house. Juan saw an opportunity most do not. In Tallulah, and lots of other parts of the world, this is becoming harder and harder for poor men to do
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Life was always hard for poor American men but lately it's been getting harder. This is evident on the streets of places like Tallulah a decaying railway town in a poor corner of Louisiana, one of America's poorest states.
Juan Hall grew up as one of five boys. His mother raised her sons alone working two jobs at a time to support them. Like lots of men in Tallulah, Juan never knew his father. A generation or two ago the men here worked on the land or at the Chicago timber mill but the mill closed and machines have replaced lots of farm jobs. For the men who relied on their hands rather than their education for a job, work dried up. It's a phenomenon being repeated across America and much of the rich world. In Tallulah some young men tried to enlist in the army, others leave in search of work elsewhere - the men who stay see few opportunities and many will end up hustling.
Juan has spent nearly ten years of his life in prison for drug dealing - that's not unusual in Tallulah where many men will do time behind bars. In places where men are idle or absent women often end up raising children on their own.
Sandra Patterson, known as Tessie, does hair to help support herself, her children, and her grandchildren. Tessie has three children with three different men. She left all three fathers because of what she describes as the demon - drugs. Tessie is not alone. The two-parent family is vanishing among the poor. In some areas, where traditional manufacturing has collapsed, nearly 3/4 of the children are raised out of wedlock. At the graduation of a local charter school where Tessie works as a substitute teacher the absence of fathers is conspicuous.
Women make up most of Tallulah's breadwinners and child rarest but this reality jars with the expectations that local men still have about their role in society.
Juan has four children by four different women. He married the mother of his youngest child and has set up a business selling sneakers out of his house. Juan saw an opportunity most do not. In Tallulah, and lots of other parts of the world, this is becoming harder and harder for poor men to do
Get more The Economist
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The Economist videos give authoritative insight and opinion on international news, politics, business, finance, science, technology and the connections between them.