“Home is the people. The people I hang out with. The people I grew up with. That, to be honest, is really home. Family who have had my back since day one. It doesn’t have to be a roof over my head…. At Hershey, I feel like a stranger. Like I don’t really belong. In New York, I feel proud. I feel good. I feel accepted when I’m in New York.” She wants to feel at home wherever she goes. And that means having the freedom to speak like her sisters—without hearing the voice of correction, nudging her from “ain’t” to “isn’t.” “I be having to correct myself. It just makes me feel like I can’t really
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This is a basic but seemingly critical part of the cultural change required to overcome poverty. Language is so key. Closely related to family strength, grievance vs. can-do attitude, etc.
