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.

EvenmoretroublingisthatournationofAmericaasthelandofopportunitygetslittles