Being descended from a family that’s been in North America since before the United States, I get what you’re saying. They endured hardships (and did some pretty terrible things.) And I live in an area that at one point had a pretty high immigrant population; a local minor celebrity from years ago did a writeup about one of the towns. Not so true anymore–oh, there’s still some recognizable Polish, Czech, and Italian names, and enough in a local town that they have a festival that’s basically a redneck get-together with a little bit of bocce thrown in.
On the other hand, when my ancestors moved to this region, it was still the western frontier. They moved to Virginia some time in the 18th Century, moved on to TN in the 19th, and to IL toward the end of that century, and have been here ever since. With few exceptions, they’ve stayed here. We just don’t have a history of moving. Hey, we managed to kill off the rattlesnakes, decided we could put up with the humidity in the summer, and stuck around. It’s not a horrible life here, despite any complaining I do here. Just wish I wasn’t in the red, but I digress.
And the thing is, I’m guessing that when they moved, while some aspects were harder, I’m betting some were easier. While it might sound crass to claim that it’d be easier for the folks living in the ghettos in the 19th Century…okay, my reasoning is a little overcomplicated (and probably impaired by cheap vino.) On the one hand, 19th Century ghettos sucked, and there were hardships if they lived on the farm. On the other hand, they didn’t have to worry about things like Child Protective Services, or about what address and phone number they were going to put down on a job application when they actually live in a car, or how on Earth they’re going to get their pay without getting ripped off because nobody who’s legit and in their right mind pays payroll in cash imho.
And since I’ve never been flat busted to the point where I have to drive my car 1000 miles away and live in my car, I’m sure there’s all kinds of issues I haven’t thought of.
I guess I’m saying that it’s an easier time to move…but it’s more complicated than that. And I didn’t even get into income vs. cost of living (something that prevented me from moving in the past) and the fact that there are less higher-paying, and more lower-paying jobs around. Know people who have done it, only to end up working in fast food or as waitresses. And honestly, when we have people moving from higher-income areas into my area to take the low-wage jobs, I’m not convinced that moving is the best option. And really, my fat butt is sitting here on a computer, drinking wine out of a pint glass, on a high-speed Internet connection in a nice, comfy house. My tune might be different if I was in 18th Century Ireland, or indeed modern-day Central America. Personally, despite my lack of success so far, I’m going to keep plugging away at trying to take advantage of the pie-in-the-sky You Can Work From Anywhere If You’re On The Internet pipe dream of the 90s. I may not be able to work as cheap as someone in India or the Phillippines, but I can work cheaper than the suburban dwellers.
