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What does the middle class look like?

Marketplace Contributor Jun 11, 2012
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What does the middle class look like?

Marketplace Contributor Jun 11, 2012
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David Brancaccio: For today’s Mid-day extra, a follow up on something we asked you about last week: What does the middle class look like? We got a bunch of your photos with some really great stories about being middle class.

Like one from Steve Haupt in Clarksburg, California.

Steve Haupt: It’s a two story appearing house with a high-pitch roof, blue with white trim, then off to the right in the picture, you’ll see our horse barn.

Brancaccio: Haupt lives in the home with his wife.

Haupt: My wife and I, we saved our whole marriage to build this place, and it’s what we built with our own hands. All the years of sweat and savings to build everything that you see in that picture. And it’s ours, it’s what Americans aspire to — having something of their own.

Hobson: Haupt says that’s what it means to be middle class. It’s working hard, saving, setting a goal and getting there.

Haupt: Look for a better thing in the future. Something’s better and we’re working towards it. So I think that helps define middle class for us.

Brancaccio: Show us what you think it means to be middle class. Go to marketplace.org to upload your photo. Look for the link that says Middle Class Photo Project.

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