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Published Letters: 1
There are currently many studies on the economy of the urban (largely black) poor. One common theme is that in every case, the American economy is structured to take advantage of the least affluent group of society - low interest loans are impossible to acquire, educational opportunities scarce, and few services (read high-quality grocery and dining options) are available while business that take advantage of the urban poor thrive. Most relevant here are the ubiquitous fast food chains and convenient stores that are often the only viable options for people to feed themselves and their children, especially to provide the nourishment required to perform physically taxing jobs.
Is it surprising that this exploitative trend has translated into a fashion of sorts? Of course not. The vast hip-hop industry is built on translating the misery and unique cultural traits of life in the ghetto into profitable and often highly inventive enterprises. While some of the results of these cultural expressions my be lamentable at times, the privileged in this country who have the leisure time to read and critique may want to devote some effort to uncovering the real inequalities that help to explain why black culture is more accepting of larger bodies, among other things.
