In American society our class struggle is that between the White Americans and the Black Americans, this is the easiest way to split. According to the article by Roediger in fiction and immigrant could earn their whiteness by reinforcing the status quo. Often fiction represents the ideals of society and it is easy to see that black Americans were looked down on in American history. Roediger also gives other works as proof that focus on this divide especially in the work force. Other then fiction Roediger gives real life experiences as well like those of Douglas on his trip to Ireland. He had hoped that immigrants like the Irish would join the cause for emancipation because even if what they felt was not the same pain it was something that was similar, Douglas said he could feel this in their music. Those who had wished immigrants would join emancipation attempts were often let down by the fact immigrants did not end up joining.<\/p>\n
The second article by Coates focuses on the struggles of black Americans after emancipation. Black Americans were not simply left alone to live their lives as free men but instead were terrorized with Jim Crow laws or other issues. Many were kept in debt due to having to be sharecroppers at the mercy of the landholders. Even later in the North issues were faced like unfair housing terms. Black Americans simply cannot work out of poverty and are said to be more likely to fall into poverty then white Americans.<\/p>\n