THE INVISIBLE POOR In 1962 Michael Harrington wrote The Other America a book that shed light on what it was like to be poor in the United States The book became a classic work with a lasting influence In it Harrington describes what he calls the invisible poor These were the people who lived in rural areas where tourists did not visit or in miserable slums in isolated parts of cities He THAT THE POOR ARE INVISIBLE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT THEM THEY ARE NOT SIMPLY NEGLECTED AND FORGOTTEN AS IN THE OLD RHETORIC OF REFORM WHAT IS MUCH WORSE THEY ARE NOT SEEN 5 argues that clothes made the poor invisible since inexpensive clothing was easier to afford than food housing or medical MICHAEL HARRINGTON THE OTHER AMERICA 1962 care Even though people looked well dressed they were poor because they did not have enough money for other necessities Fifty years after Harrington's book was published many of the poor were still invisible but for different reasons A 2001 US Census Bureau survey reported that many Americans with incomes below the poverty line had
comfortable living conditions They lacked enough money to meet some of their basic needs such as nutritious food and adequate clothing But their homes had sufficient living space with air conditioning refrigerators stoves microwaves washers dryers and televisions Most had cell phones computers and cars Did this mean they were not poor The results of the survey sparked controversy Many people argued that government HARRINGTON S THE OTHER AMERICA handouts had allowed poor people luxuries they had not worked for and would not otherwise have been able to afford They believed government spending on Fifty years ago Michael Harrington changed Americans view of society At a time when people believed most Americans were part of the comfortable middle class The Other America showed nearly one third of the population lived in poverty In 1999 Time magazine listed The Other America among the top ten most influential nonfiction books of the 1900s Harrington's work is credited as a spark that helped ignite the war on poverty Harrington however placed the responsibility on US society He said The fate of the poor hangs upon the decision of the better off If this anger and shame are not forthcoming someone can write a book about the other America a generation from now and it will be the same or worse welfare financial support for those in need should be cut Others pointed out that items such as cell phones refrigerators and stoves are necessities not luxuries
Technology had made many items more affordable than in the past The Fight for 15 sparked further controversy over the consequences of raising the minimum wage Some people argued that a dramatic increase in the minimum wage would force some businesses to close Others insisted the increase in wages would enable hourly workers to provide for themselves and their families Would a federal requirement of paying workers at least 15 an hour lift thousands of people out of poverty In part the answer depends on the definition of poverty DEFINING POVERTY One definition of poverty is tied to income People who do not earn enough money to provide for their basic needs live below the poverty threshold The US Census Bureau uses income levels for determining poverty status The levels vary according to the size of a family and the ages of family members At the end of the 1900s many people argued that income was not an accurate measurement of poverty They pointed out the poverty threshold was outdated
In order to put money toward other necessities some families live in small apartments sharing beds and other living spaces Mollie Orshansky a government employee developed standards for measuring poverty in the 1960s These standards were based on the cost of foods needed to feed a family At that time expenditures for food represented approximately one third of a family's budget Orshansky's work became the official US poverty measure By 2014 the percentage of family income spent on food was less than 10 percent but the standards for measuring poverty had not changed To address this issue the US Census Bureau developed a Supplemental Poverty Measure SPM in 2014 To determine poverty levels the SPM considered the cost of food clothing shelter and utilities as well as differences in geographic locations It also counted taxes and benefits from government programs when
