Numerous studies have been completed to demonstrate that people of all racial and ethnic groups are negatively affected by poverty. Those of the lowest social class, despite being a mix of ethnicities, are predominantly minorities and are the most affected. What stands out about Philippe Bourgeois is that he not only studies people and their culture, but lives it with them. Mr. Bourgois spent two years with his wife and son living with Puerto Ricans in East Harlem, New York. He lived with them and became friends with many of them with the hope of providing an accurate analysis of their culture. While living there he encountered all the social problems of the barrio; from gender inequality to drugs and illegal activities to racial segregation. Above all, the main social problem that the people of East Harlem encounter is poverty. One of the reasons these people are trapped on the streets of East Harlem, full of drugs, crime and violence, is because they don't know the difference. Many of the people Bourgois befriended attempted to find legal work. Some of them managed to find work, but not all managed to keep it. For example, Bourgois' best friend, Primo, got a job for the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). In this job management knew that many potential employees would not be able to handle the rigors of the job and therefore had to over hire expecting some to leave or lose their jobs. After a few days Primo realized that he couldn't maintain his composure in front of dead cats and dogs. That's when management fired him. (Bourgois, 2003) He tried to work in the legal field again, this time in a publishing office. Although this work initially seemed suited to First,...... middle of paper... social class marginalization in a major inner-city culture in the United States. Bourgois explained the social problems well as well as his ideas of solutions and temporary solutions to the problems faced by most people living in poverty. As a nation, the United States must look carefully at its urban centers, where the most severe poverty is found. There are many solutions to the problem of crime and violence that are being used today and yet they seem ineffective. This is because the main cause of crime and violence is extreme poverty. As Bourgois said, most of those who live and “work” in the barrio seek respect and a sense of dignity. (Bourgois, 2003) The problem is that they will never achieve the success they seek without first helping other Americans realize that it is the social status of the poor that holds them back..