To The Moon

The Story of Donald Trump’s mate- J.D Vance (5 min to read) $Trump Media & Technology(DJT)$ $MicroStrategy(MSTR)$ $Coinbase Global, Inc.(COIN)$

Hillbilly

"Hillbilly" is a derogatory term used to describe residents of the Appalachian Mountains. This mountain range stretches from the deep South in Georgia and Kentucky to the Midwest in West Virginia and Ohio, reaching as far north as New York State, traversing both the Bible Belt and the Rust Belt. Geographically, "hillbillies" share some overlap with "rednecks," but they are not entirely synonymous.

However, in terms of social status and public perception, they can be categorized similarly—as the American underclass. The author begins by stating, "They call them hillbilly, red neck, and white trash. I call them neighbors, friends, and family."

The author opens by pointing out that when discussing various American ethnic groups, lumping all white people together ignores the significant differences within the white population. While white people, on average, are seen as a dominant group in the US, if we isolate the hillbillies, their income, unemployment rates, education, and health are often worse than those of Black and Latino communities, making them the lowest socio-economic group in the country. One of the primary reasons the author wrote this book was to highlight that "we are not the same group as the elite whites from the Northeast." (Honestly, studying heterogeneity is valid, but should we then separate all groups' lower and upper classes for comparison?)

Given their location in the Rust Belt, it's unsurprising that the economic decline in the Appalachian region began with the downturn of traditional American manufacturing and the coal and steel industries.

Centered around Pittsburgh, the steel and mining industries boomed in the last century, attracting a massive workforce migrating from southern rural areas to midwestern towns. The author's grandparents—a 16-year-old boy and his 13-year-old pregnant wife—fled from Jackson, Kentucky, to Middletown, Ohio, fearing their violent family, joining this wave of migrants. Although they had little education, the grandfather secured a job as a miner due to the high demand for labor in the local steel company, entering what I would call a "systemic" job. His employment brought high wages, job stability, and benefits, much like the iron rice bowl of China's state-owned enterprises, earning them respect and envy.

Family Background

However, despite escaping poverty, they could not shed the influence of their original environment. The grandfather began to drink heavily and became violent when drunk, while the grandmother was equally tough, often resorting to threats with a gun. On one occasion, when the grandfather came home drunk, the grandmother poured gasoline on him and set him on fire. Fortunately, the children managed to extinguish the flames, preventing a fatality, but the dysfunctional family dynamics were evident.

This turbulent family environment profoundly affected the author's mother. Though she came from a middle-class background, her mental and emotional health was precarious. Despite graduating high school as the second in her class, she didn't attend college, having become pregnant and given birth two months after graduation. She then entered a series of unsuccessful marriages, moving from one man to another, eventually becoming addicted to drugs. During her tumultuous relationships, the author learned to adapt to and even like potential stepfathers, only to lose contact with them after each breakup. This instability left a significant mark on his childhood, with his fate seemingly tied to his mother's unpredictable emotions.

Fortunately, the grandparents eventually recognized their problems and made efforts to change. The grandfather quit drinking, and the grandmother ceased her violent outbursts. They felt sorry for their grandson and acknowledged their failings with the author's mother, trying to help as much as possible. Their home was always open, and when the mother decided to move to another city for a man, the grandmother took the author in, providing him a period of stability.

The author believes that without his grandparents' intervention, he might have followed the same troubled path as other children from similar backgrounds. He could have ended up in the foster care system after one of his mother's violent episodes or drug relapses. In the US, the nuclear family model limits family members to parents and children. When parents fail, if calling the police or social workers results in being placed with strangers, most children choose to stay silent. The author argues that the extended family, including grandparents, uncles, and aunts, should be considered part of the social support system. Allowing their involvement could help children escape negative parental influences more willingly.

Climbing the Educational Ladder

In such an environment, the author completed high school. Despite frequent absences leading to poor grades, he managed to score well on the SAT and received an acceptance letter from Ohio State University.

From this point, my reading emotions became complex. While the first half of his tumultuous, impoverished childhood evoked my sympathy, seeing him gain admission to a prestigious school with minimal effort reminded me that they are, after all, white Americans. They consider themselves the underclass, but their "underclass" status is an unattainable dream for many in developing countries. Moreover, coming from a low-income family meant he only needed to pay minimal tuition for college. Later, he attended Yale Law School, discovering that the better the school, the lower the fees for low-income families.

This disparity partly explains why new immigrants, particularly Asians, who strive for change through hard work, find it challenging to empathize with hillbillies. They see hillbillies as born into an "easy mode" yet drowning in alcohol and drugs, neglecting education, and failing to strive for upward mobility while blaming societal unfairness for their poverty.

How Did They Become Trump Supporters?

Hillbillies exhibit strong patriotism. If a nation is an imagined community, American patriotism is likely based on the shared belief in the "land of the free." During the pandemic, whenever someone opposed mask-wearing or stay-at-home orders, the most common phrase was "this is the land of the free." This sentiment is also evident in another book about the American underclass, "Educated." In that fundamentalist Mormon family, they despised institutions, including the government, because "this is the land of the free," and anyone trying to control their lives was not embodying the "true American spirit."

Interestingly, in "Sex and the City 2," Samantha is arrested in Abu Dhabi for making out with a man on the beach but finally returns to America, achieving her desire. They chose Independence Day for their tryst, with Samantha shouting "to the land of the free!" amid a backdrop of 4th of July fireworks, which my boyfriend aptly compared to the female version of "Fast and Furious."

This patriotism also includes racial and xenophobic elements. After China's entry into the WTO, the "China shock" impacted local economies significantly. The author's grandfather's steel company, once a local leader, was acquired by a Japanese firm, and locals resisted the new name due to their memories of WWII. However, the grandfather eventually accepted the change, recognizing that times had changed and Japan was now an ally. He said, "If we were to have any enemies, it would be the fucking China."

This sentiment is not unfounded. Research by Autor et al. found that regions hit hardest by the China shock experienced increased unemployment, lower incomes, and broader socio-economic repercussions. White males in these areas faced greater difficulty in marriage, having children, and suffered from worse physical and mental health, leading to higher rates of alcoholism, smoking, depression, disability, and the shortest life expectancy among American demographics. As victims of international trade, they naturally harbor resentment and oppose openness and globalization.

Economic decline, poverty, patriotism, and xenophobia combined make it unsurprising that hillbillies, once staunch Democratic supporters due to unions, have shifted to the Republican side and become Trump supporters. This book, published in 2016 and gaining popularity in 2018, owes much to the curiosity about Trump supporters.

Conclusion

The author, J.D., seemed destined to become a J.D. in law. I admire his determination to escape poverty, graduating from college with dual degrees in just 1 year and 11 months while sleeping only four hours a day.

He discusses class rigidity and the decline of the American Dream while embodying a living example of it. This book faced criticism, with Appalachian residents feeling misrepresented and liberals accusing it of justifying Trumpism.

It's worth considering if book reviewers interviewed Black and other minority groups, who might sarcastically say, "That's it? And you call this tough? Our journey was far more challenging."