【Wearenotwhowethinkweare.TheAmericanself-imageisspreadwiththegoldenglowofopportunity.WethinkoftheUnitedStatesasalandofunlimitedpossibilitynotsomuchaclasslesssocietybutasaplacewhereclassismutable—a】

　　Wearenotwhowethinkweare.

　　TheAmericanself-imageisspreadwiththegoldenglowofopportunity.WethinkoftheUnitedStatesasalandofunlimitedpossibilitynotsomuchaclasslesssocietybutasaplacewhereclassismutable—aplacewherebrainsenergyandambitionarewhatcountsnotthecircumstancesofone'sbirth.

　　TheEconomicMobilityProjectanambitiousresearchledbyPewCharitableTrustslookedattheeconomicfortunesofalargegroupoffamiliesovertimecomparingtheincomeofparentsinthelate1960swiththeincomeoftheirchildreninthelate1990sandearly2000s.Hereisthefinding:"The'ragstoriches'storyismuchmorecommoninHollywoodthanonMainStreet.Only6percentofchildrenborntoparentswithfamilyincomeattheverybottommovetothetop.

　　Thatisrightjust6percentofchildrenborntoparentswhorankedinthebottomofthestudysampleintermsofincomewereabletobootstraptheirwayintothetop.Meanwhileanincredible42percentofchildrenbornintothatlowestarestillstuckatthebottomhavingbeenunabletoclimbasinglerungoftheincomeladder.

　　ItisnotedthateveninBritain---anationwethinkofasburdenedwithahideboundclasssystem-childrenwhoarebornpoorhaveabetterchanceofmovingup.WhenthestudieswerereleasedmostreportersfocusedonthefindingthatAfrican-Americansborntomiddle-classoruppermiddle-classfamiliesareearningslightlylessininflation-adjusteddollarsthandidtheirparents.

　　Oneofthestudiesindicatesinfactthatmostofthefinancialgainswhitefamilieshavemadeinthepastthreedecadescanbeattributedtotheentryofwhitewomenintothelaborforce.ThisismuchlesstrueforAfrican-Americans.

　　Thepicturethatemergesfromallthequintilescorrelationsandpercentagesisofanationinwhichoverall"thecurrentgenerationofadultsisbetteroffthanthepreviousone"asoneofthestudiesnotes.

　　Themedianincomeofthefamiliesinthesamplegroupwas$55600inthelate1960s;theirchildren'smedianfamilyincomewasmeasuredat$71900.Howeverthisrisingtidehasnotliftedallboatsequally.Therichhaveseenfargreaterincomegainsthanhavethepoor.

　　EvenmoretroublingisthatournationofAmericaasthelandofopportu